The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) Regulations 2005

Co-operation and local resilience forums – England and Wales

4.—(1) General Category 1 responders which have functions which are exercisable in a particular local resilience area in England or Wales must co-operate with each other in connection with the performance of their duties under section 2(1).

(2) The co-operation referred to in paragraph (1) –

(a) may take the form of two or more general Category 1 responders co-operating with each other; and

(b) must take the form of all general Category 1 responders which have functions which are exercisable in that local resilience area co-operating together in a single forum.

(3) The form of co-operation referred to in paragraph (2)(b) is referred to in these Regulations as the “local resilience forum”.

(4) As part of the local resilience forum, general Category 1 responders which have functions which are exercisable in a particular local resilience area in England and Wales must make arrangements to hold a meeting at least once every six months; each general Category 1 responder must, so far as reasonably practicable, attend such a meeting or be effectively represented at that meeting.

(5) General Category 2 responders which have functions which are exercisable in a particular local resilience area in England or Wales must co-operate with each general Category 1 responder which has functions which are exercisable in that local resilience area in connection with the performance by that general Category 1 responder of its duties under section 2(1).

(6) A general Category 2 responder which has functions which are exercisable in a particular local resilience area in England or Wales –

(a) must, so far as reasonably practicable, attend a meeting of the local resilience forum for that local resilience area or be effectively represented at that meeting if it is invited to do so by all of those general Category 1 responders which have functions which are exercisable in that local resilience area; and

(b) in the case of any other meeting of that local resilience forum, must consider whether it is appropriate for it to attend the meeting or to be effectively represented at the meeting.

(7) For the purposes of enabling general Category 2 responders to comply with paragraph (6), the general Category 1 responders which have functions which are exercisable in a particular local resilience area in England and Wales must –

(a) keep each general Category 2 responder which has functions which are exercisable in that local resilience area informed of –

(i) when meetings of the local resilience forum are to take place;

(ii) the location of such meetings;

(iii) the matters which are likely to be discussed at such meetings;

(b) make arrangements for a general Category 2 responder to attend any such meetings where the general Category 2 responder wishes to do so; and

(c) consider whether a general Category 2 responder should be invited to attend such a meeting.