Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Emergency Alert System

Thursday 6 March 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial steps are being taken to ensure emergency alerts do not endanger survivors of domestic abuse.
  • The Environment Agency is responsible for issuing flood warnings and may activate emergency alerts where there is an immediate threat to life.
  • Local residents in areas prone to flooding, like Carlisle, may not distinguish between different types of flood alerts currently.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Paulette Hamilton Lab Birmingham Erdington
Crime & Law Enforcement Women & Equalities
Context

The question addresses concerns about the emergency alert system's effectiveness, particularly for individuals in vulnerable situations.

Question

A secret phone can be a lifeline for survivors of domestic abuse. Can the Minister tell the House what steps the Government are taking to ensure that when emergency alerts are sent, survivors of domestic abuse are not put in any additional danger?

Answer from Abena Oppong-Asare (Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office)

My hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. The whole purpose of the emergency alert is to make people safer, so we are mindful of the potential risks to people with secret phones, such as victims of domestic abuse. We are continuing to work with domestic abuse charities and organisations that support victims to mitigate the risk, including by producing guidance on disabling emergency alerts.

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Q2 Julie Minns Lab Carlisle
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The question addresses the current system for updating flood alerts to reflect the seriousness of an emergency.

Question

The threat of flooding is ever present in Carlisle, and although I and other local residents regularly receive flood alerts, they do not necessarily distinguish between a threat to life and a regular flood alert. Could the Minister please explain at what point flood alerts are updated to reflect the seriousness of an emergency alert?

Answer from Abena Oppong-Asare (Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office)

My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue. The Environment Agency is responsible for issuing flood warnings. For locations covered by severe flood warnings, the Environment Agency may ask for an emergency alert to be activated where there is an immediate threat to life, in order to support the response in the local area.

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