Civil Contingencies Bill: Emergency Powers
01 June 2003
The UK government has published a draft Civil Contingencies Bill together with Explanatory
Notes.The Bill would repeal the Emergency Powrs Acts of 1920 and 1964 and the Civil
Protection in Peacetime Act 1986. The proposal is now open to consultation until 11
September and responses should be directed to: Civil Contingencies Bill (Consultation),
First Floor, 10 Great George Street, London SW1P 3AE or e-mail:
cbill@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
The first part of the Bill on Civil Protection is one thing but the second part on Emergency
Powers brought the following editorial comment from the Guardian newspaper on 20 June
that this represents:
"the greatest threat to civil liberty that any parliament is ever likely to consider"
The original 1920 Act was passed at a time of great political and industrial unrest and gave
the goverment draconian powers which can be introduced under the royal prerogative and
adopted by "Orders in Council" - that is, by a meeting of any two Privy Counsellors (all
cabinet ministers are automatically made Privy Counsellors on appointment). Parliament has
to agree new powers adopted but all real power is delegated to government ministers and
state officials. The 1964 Act made permanent provisions in wartime Defence (Armed
Forces) Regulations 1939 to allow military personnel to replace civilian workers. In 1972 a
Civil Contingencies Unit was set up in the Cabinet Offic and when an internal crisis arises it
operates through the operational centre known as "COBRA" (Cabinet Office Briefing
Room).
The scope of the Bill goes well beyond that of the 1920 Act. This Act was concerned
solely with:
"the supply and distribution of food, water, fuel, or light, or with the means of
locomotion, to deprive the community, or any substantial portion of the community,
of the essentials of life"
The new Bill does include the "essentials of life" for the population (Art 17.1.a) but
massively extends the scope under Article 17.1 to:
"(c) the political, administrative or economic stability of the United Kingdom or of a
Part or region or (d) the security of the United Kingdom or a Part or region"
Article 17.1.c. is defined in Article 17.4 as covering the "activities of Her Majesty's
government", "the performance of public funcions" and "the activities of banks and other
financial institutions".
Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, comments:
"What is extraordinary is that the government in reviewing an 83 year old law still
wants to rely on the ancient powers of the monarch. Moreover it intends to change its
purpose from a law to provide the essentials of life for the population to one that also
covers the protection of the government, the state and financial institutions.
Most people will not be aware that under emergency plans put in place in the late
1970s travel bans can be introduced, food rationed and all telecommunications cut
off under the Telephone Preference System - the whole of the civilian population can
be cut off from the outside world with no access to phone-calls, e-mails or the internet
at a stroke."
Documentation
1. The Bill and Explanatory Note:
Full-text (pdf)
2. Full-text of the Emergency Powers Acts 1920 and 1964 and the Civil Protection in
Peacetime Act 1986:
Full text
3. The origins of the Emergency Powers Acts (EPAs) in the UK (extract from "The Political
Police in Britain"):
Origins of the EPAs
4. Further reading: see: a) The Political Police in Britain by Tony Bunyan, 1977; b) Troops
in Strikes by