Written Question·Cabinet Office·UIN 190342

Disease Control and Emergencies: Departmental Responsibilities

Tabled: 20 June 2023
Answered: 28 June 2023

Question

Seema Malhotra

Labour (Co-op)Feltham and Heston

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister plans to appoint a Minister for pandemic and disaster preparedness.

Answer

My right Hon. friend the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for the oversight of civil contingencies & resilience.

The government has a well-established method of planning for risks through the lead government department model, with the Cabinet Office supporting in its convening role. Risks such as pandemics, which have significant cross-cutting impacts, have cross-government governance - with Ministerial oversight through National Security Council (Resilience) where required. The government has set out its overarching approach to this through the Resilience Framework.