The lead government department plan is designed primarily for use by Defra staff involved in flood emergency planning and those who would be involved in the response to a flooding incident. But it will also help others involved in flood emergency planning and response arrangements to design their own internal processes to fit with those of Defra.
The lead department plan sets out Defra’s role:
- as lead government department (LGD) in central government planning for and responding to flooding emergencies; and
- in dealing with the consequences of flooding for other parts of its specific departmental responsibilities - for such matters as waste, water and food supply, impacts on farming and the environment
In meeting Defra’s lead department responsibilities, there is a deliberate focus on the strategic objectives for the central government response to emergencies, which are to:
- protect human life and as far as possible, property and the environment;
- alleviate suffering
- support the continuity of everyday activity and the restoration of disrupted services at the earliest opportunity; and
- uphold the rule of law and the democratic process