The Public Accounts Committee has launched an inquiry into government resilience to extreme weather events. It says of the 89 risks on the Government’s National Risk Register, eight are extreme weather events. The government does have mechanisms in place to manage these risks, but a National Audit Office (NAO) report into government resilience in this area has found these could be strengthened.
The Committee is intending to take evidence from senior officials from the Cabinet Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on subjects including:
- Does the UK Government have a clear vision and well-defined roles and responsibilities to manage national risks, such as extreme weather events, and the generic capabilities to deal with emergencies;
- What are the risks from extreme weather events;
- What is the Government’s understanding of risks and any gaps in its knowledge;
- How the UK Government can develop resilience;
- What is the appropriate pace and scale of adaptation required to fully prepare the UK for climate risks.
The Committee’s inquiry will look at central government management of risks rather than local response plans. The inquiry does not cover arrangements in the devolved nations.
The call for evidence closes on 7 February 2024.
