Strengthening Community Resilience

Freddie van Mierlo Excerpts

Tuesday 27th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Dan Jarvis]

My hon. Friend makes a really important point. She speaks about the kind of group that all of us will have in our constituency—those local groups that come together to provide support. On a recent visit to Leicestershire, I saw the excellent work done by a local flood action group to protect their community following floods. We have been very careful to ensure that the design of this campaign has been worked through with local authorities, local resilience forums, and a range of voluntary and charitable organisations. I believe very much in the public and community spirit found right across the country. We want to encourage and enable activity of this kind, so that when an everyday emergency does strike, communities can come together and look out for each other.

[Freddie van Mierlo (Henley and Thame) (LD)]

In my constituency of Henley and Thame, Greener Henley has already sprung into action and is seeking community champions to organise street by street. What action will the Government take to support community organisations to improve resilience not just on a household basis, but at street level?

[Dan Jarvis]

The hon. Member makes a similarly important point. I reiterate what I said a moment ago: the design of the campaign has been worked on in conjunction with community and voluntary groups, which we all know from our constituencies do an incredibly important job. The launch of the campaign has been warmly welcomed by a range of community and voluntary organisations right around the country. We want to work through local authorities and with local resilience forums—those kind of organisations—so that they feel both empowered and enabled to support their communities, but all of us as Members of this House have a responsibility to work with and support them at the local level.