Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what lessons have been learned from recent public sector responses to health and natural emergencies.

Recent responses to outbreaks of meningitis B and hantavirus have shown the importance of rapid convening of departments and Devolved Governments to offer government support, and provide coordination to the response. Bringing together the right individuals facilitated the repatriation of high-risk hantavirus contacts from UK Overseas Territories, safeguarding vulnerable populations and protecting healthcare systems.

The Cabinet Office is the lead government department for severe weather. This role involves managing current seasonal incidents while proactively preparing for the upcoming season. Ongoing preparations include updating cross-government plans with lessons learned, leading horizon scanning meetings with the Severe Weather Resilience Network, and conducting cross-government exercises.

The Cabinet Office is conducting a rapid lessons learned review with the Severe Weather Resilience Network regarding last week’s heatwave to ensure key lessons are implemented ahead of any further extreme weather this summer.