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Central Government Arrangements

In some instances, the scale or complexity of an emergency is such that some degree of central government support or co-ordination becomes necessary. Central government will not duplicate the role of local responders who remain the basic building block of the response to an emergency.

A designated Lead Government Department (LGD) or, where appropriate, a devolved administration, will be made responsible for the overall management of the central government response. In the most serious cases, the central government response will be co-ordinated through the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR).

The balance of activity between UK central government and the devolved administrations will depend on the nature of the emergency and the terms of the devolution settlements.

The arrangements outlined in this chapter are in line with those that will be described in the revised Central Government Arrangements for Responding to an Emergency: Concept of Operations.

• Emergency Response and Recovery: Chapter 13 - Central Government Arrangements [PDF]

Key Supporting Documents

You should refer to:

• Central government arrangements for responding to an emergency: concept of operations (ConOps) [PDF, 26 pages, 376KB] - Document setting out the arrangements for the response to emergencies requiring co-ordinated UK central government action.

• The Lead Government Department and its role - Guidance and Best Practice [PDF, 50 pages, 632KB] - Cabinet Office guidance document outlining the LGD principle, departments' responsibilities and functions.

• List of pre-designated Lead Government Departments

• The role of the Lead Government Departments in planning for and managing crises - The Framework for action [PDF 5 pages, 97KB]

• Central Government Emergency Response Training Course (CGERT)/ National Strategic Level - Useful Reading - The Government Emergency Response Training Course aims to equip people with the knowledge, skills and awareness necessary for their role in crisis management at the national strategic level. It is also designed to familiarise those in departmental emergency organisations, in Devolved and Regional Government, and in Strategic Co-ordination Groups with the Central Response structure and processes.
  
  The Directed Reading Package for Module 2 of the course is also very useful for those not planning to attend the course who wish to know more about central government response to emergencies.
  
  Further details of this course are available from the Emergency Planning College