Dear Amber Scott,
 
Thank you for your request for information received by Staffordshire
County Council on 12/07/2019.
Your request is being dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 and will be answered within twenty working days.
 
If you have any queries about this request do not hesitate to contact us.
Please remember to quote the case reference number above in any future
communications.
Yours sincerely,
 
Access Team

Dear Amber Scott

Thank you for your request for information.

Information about emergency planning and prevention is publised on the Staffordshire Local Resilience Forum's Staffordshire Prepared website - https://www.staffordshireprepared.gov.uk...

You will see from this website that the SRF multi-agency partnership is responsible for preparations for an emergency plans. These are known as Staffordshire Prepared Plans and they are stored, maintained and exercised by the Civil Contingencies Unit (CCU) on behalf of the SRF partnership.

Please can you clarify/confirm whether or not this is the type of information you are asking for.

I understand that information such as specific plans and/or operational documents if held by the council in relation to these matters may be be considered to be sensitive and if disclosed could potentially endanger the health and safety of individual(s). Section 38 of the Freedom of Information Act provides an exemption from disclosing information if it would endanger any individual (including the applicant, the supplier of the information or anyone else).

Therefore, if you do confirm that you require specific emergency plans to be disclosed it is likely that we would need to hold a public interest test to decide the balance of public interest in disclosing or withholding any information we might hold relevant to your request.

If you have any comments relating to how your request has been handled by our authority you should contact us in the first instance.  Send your comment or complaint to:

Access Manager, Access Team, Staffordshire County Council, 2 Staffordshire Place, Stafford ST16 2DH or email [email address]

If you then have any further comments relating to how your request has been handled by our authority, please contact the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Regards
  
David Portch

Information Governance Unit
Staffordshire County Council
1 Staffordshire Place
Stafford
ST16 2DH

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Dear Amber Scott

I understand that there is no single "emergency plan" detailing the response taken in the event of a civil emergency or major incident" as you have requested.

I am afraid that despite what you may have been told by the MHCLG it is unlikely, due to the purpose and nature of the content of any emergency plans, that these would be made available in the public domain.

I believe that it is likely that the MHCLG are referring to the requirements of The Civil Contingencies Act (2004) which requires the Resilience Forums to produce local Community Risk Register to allow you, as an individual and as part of the community, to be aware of local risks and thus prepare for emergencies.

The Staffordshire Community Risk Register - https://www.staffordshireprepared.gov.uk... includes a column headed " What is in place in our area to respond?" but this does not extend to making detailed plans available.

I will forward your request to relevant county council staff and the Civil Contingencies Unit for their advice.

Regards
  
David Portch

Access Team
Staffordshire County Council
1 Staffordshire Place
Stafford
ST16 2DH

Telephone:  01785 278176

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Dear Amber Scott

Further to my email below I have been liaising with the Civil Contingencies Unit (CCU) who co-ordinate and hold emergency plans and related documents, and are also responsible for publication of information on behalf of the forum partners.

I understand that the requirement to publish can be found in the government guidance on part 1 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Chapter 5, paragraphs 5.37-38) notes that emergency plans should be published in so far as publication is necessary or desirable for the purpose of dealing with an emergency - https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

I am advised that that the relevant document likely to provide to fulfil your request is likely to be a version of the Staffordshire Prepared Multi-Agency Incident Handbook. This document outlines how the responder community of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent prepares itself for incidents, and it provides a comprehensive overview of the multi-agency response structures that are enacted in the event of "a civil emergency or major incident."

The CCU state that latest version of the Handbook is currently being reviewed and formatted for publishing. When it is ready, CCU will make it available online via the Staffordshire Prepared website - https://www.staffordshireprepared.gov.uk... The CCU hope that this will be early in August.

The CCU also hold a range of individual plans in place for specific risks that have been identified on the Staffordshire Community Risk Register (Link previously provided); however, they are considered to be annexes to the Multi-Agency Incident Handbook and as such do not contain as much information about the generic response structures that are enacted when a major incident is declared or when a multi-agency response is deemed necessary.

My contact at the CCU has suggested that when you see the published document if you need further information you should contact them at contact [email address]

I trust that this is acceptable. However, please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you have any comments relating to how your request has been handled by our authority you should contact us in the first instance. Send your comment or complaint to:

Access Manager, Access Team, Staffordshire County Council, 2 Staffordshire Place, Stafford ST16 2DH or email [email address]

If you then have any further comments relating to how your request has been handled by our authority, please contact the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Regards
  
David Portch

Access Team
Staffordshire County Council
1 Staffordshire Place
Stafford
ST16 2DH

Telephone:  01785 278176

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Dear Amber

I do hope so. Sorry that it took a while to get to the bottom of this one.

My contact in CCU has said that they will send me a copy when revision completed. If they do I will forward to you and/or check if/where published.

Then if you do need anything further CCU advise to contact them.

Regards
  
David Portch

Access Team
Staffordshire County Council
1 Staffordshire Place
Stafford
ST16 2DH

Telephone:  01785 278176

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Dear Amber Scott

I have been told by the CCU that the information you requested is now published - https://www.staffordshireprepared.gov.uk...

A copy is also attached.

I hope that this is what you wanted.

Regards
  
David Portch

Access Team
Staffordshire County Council
1 Staffordshire Place
Stafford
ST16 2DH

Telephone:  01785 278176

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Dear Amber

No problem that's what I am here for. I am glad the information/document was what you were looking for. I am sorry that it took a while to track down.

Regards
  
David Portch

Access Team
Staffordshire County Council
1 Staffordshire Place
Stafford
ST16 2DH

Telephone:  01785 278176

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