LOCAL authorities are being short changed in their efforts to plan for emergencies such as terrorist attacks, flooding and foot-and-mouth, according to council chiefs.

Contingency planning for major incidents, including motorway pile-ups and air crashes is the responsibility of local authorities, which receive a ring-fenced grant from government to help them formulate their action plans.

Cumbria County Council leader Rex Toft said, in the light of events such as September 11, government funding was inadequate.

A report to CCC council officers said all local authorities were facing a "serious shortfall" in emergency planning funding.

It said: "Given all that has happened nationally and internationally in recent times, the Local Government Association and the Emergency Planning Society have advised central government that a more realistic figure for the delivery of emergency planning nationally is about £74m rather than the £18.9m currently allocated."

Coun Jack Richardson, cabinet member with responsibility for community safety and emergency planning, said thinking on emergency planning also needed to be brought up to date.

"Existing planning legislation is based on the assumptions of the 1940s and 50s - that the greatest threat is the possibility of nuclear attack - but times have changed."

A recently-completed government review of emergency planning is likely to result in new legislation.

Coun Richardson said he hoped government would carry out a "realistic assessment" of the true cost of planning to local authorities.

Coun Toft said: "CCC will be writing to the Government to express concern about this and ask them to look again at the money CCC receives."