“Good news” in Civil Contingencies Bill
The Cabinet Office’s new emergency contingency legislation has received the thumbs up from civil rights groups after several controversial clauses in the bill were omitted.
The Cabinet Office yesterday published details of the Civil Contingencies Bill – announced in the Queen’s Speech – which outlined how the Government will act in the advent of a civilian disaster such as a chemical or biological terror attack, another foot-and-mouth outbreak, or a major power outrage.
Civil rights groups were concerned the definition of “emergency” was “extraordinarily wide” and may lead to civil liberty abuses.
Plans to allow the Government to push through temporary legislation without Parliamentary approval were also received with much scepticism.
But the Government responded to the worries by redefining the scope of emergency. It said emergency was “an event or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare, the environment or the security of the United Kingdom or a place in the United Kingdom.”
The new legislation covers war, terrorism, contamination of land with “harmful biological, chemical or radioactive matter or oil”, flooding and “disruption or destruction of plant life or animal life”.
Specifically, the bill covers public access to sensitive sites, evacuation, armed forces deployment, requisition of property, public meetings and ad hoc legal structures in the case of disaster.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, told the BBC: “A lot of good news here, but a little further work for parliamentarians who’ve been actively engaged in this process, a little further tightening to do.
“But all credit to Mr [Douglas] Alexander for listening. It’s not a bad start to 2004.
“I do not want to be churlish about this. There has been some real listening and very detailed engagement. There may be further work to do as this bill goes through Parliament, but there is some cause to welcome this.”
