Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions has she had with fire and rescue authorities about whether their community risk management plans could be supported by military aid.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 places a legal requirement on Fire and Rescue Authorities to assess, make and maintain plans, and generally become more self-reliant in responding to crises within their remit.

These plans, including their Community Risk Management Plans, should be developed on the basis of responding to incidents without the need for military assistance.

Military Aid to Civilian Authorities (also known as MACA), may be requested to support civilian authorities, such as fire and rescue services (FRSs) when their capacity is overwhelmed.

Effective engagement with Military Advisors, such as JRLO (Joint Regional Liaison Officers) is encouraged and well established within FRS major incident response structures.