Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's Pandemic Influenza Response Plan, published on 15 August 2014, what plans his Department has to produce a more general pandemic response plan to inform and support sectors of society in responding to pandemics.

The United Kingdom is well prepared for outbreaks of infectious diseases, with well-rehearsed and robust plans in place to respond.

National and international surveillance systems support the assessment of the risk to the UK posed by both influenza and other infectious diseases. When the Department identifies a pandemic risk facing the UK, we work with expert stakeholders to produce guidance to support all sectors in mitigating the risk to the public.

The National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies (NRR) provides an assessment of the likelihood and potential impact of a range of different civil emergency risks, including pandemics. Local planners use the NRR to highlight risks to sectors of society to raise awareness and guide contingency planning.