UK government passes civil contingencies bill

BUSINESS CONTINUITY

The legislation and accompanying non-statutory measures will deliver a single framework for civil protection in the UK, according to the government. In theory, the new powers should improve the UK's ability to deal with the consequences of major disruptive incidents by improving the planning process at a local level, building better contacts between agencies and improving the link between local areas and central government. A consultation on the underpinning Regulations and Guidance package is expected to begin shortly.

Business continuity experts say the new law should bring more BCP planning to regions outside London, where much of the higher-profile activity has been taking place since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington DC, in the US.

The Civil Contingencies Act also 'modernises' the legislative tools available to government to provide an effective response to the most serious emergencies, according to a Home Office statement. This portion of the legislation was more controversial, with many members of parliament objecting that the powers given to government were too wide-ranging at first -- the legislation was modified.

Originally, the government consulted with the financial services industry about the need for special powers in the event of an emergency, but the conclusions of the study were that such powers were not required. As a result, the act focuses most of its emergency powers text on the robustness of the utility and transport sectors. OpRisk

The Civil Contingencies Act, and a short guide to the legislation, is available at: http://www.ukresilience.info/ccact/index.htmfcrime_sector.pdf