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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to support local authority preparedness for extreme weather conditions in a) England and b) Romford constituency.

The preparation for, response to and recovery from extreme weather sits across a number of organisations, including the Cabinet Office, UK Health and Security Agency, and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) in England are tasked with coordinating local emergency preparedness for extreme weather events. Local Authorities are members of the Local Resilience Forum and work with all organisations within the Local Resilience Forum to ensure plans are in place for severe weather events to reduce and mitigate impacts upon local communities.

The UK Health Security Agency and Centre for Climate and Health Security last month published an updated toolkit to help local authorities prepare for heat risks.

MHCLG encourages Local Authorities to initiate the policies and procedures associated with the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol. MHCLG also shares relevant NHS guidance, alongside MHCLG’s Night Shelter Operating Principles, guidelines.