Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has urged UK households to stockpile cash, water and food in case of war or natural disasters. Speaking to the Sun on Sunday, Mr Streeting said the UK now faces a greater risk of being brought to its knees by fires, floods and overseas attacks, including attacks on cyber infrastructure such as internet and communications.
Cash is important in times of crisis because it will always be usable even when internet and electricity, including banking apps, debit or credit card machines and other electronic forms of payment, are not available. He told the Sun on Sunday that 'individual citizens' should consider “how to be prepared for acts of nature, or acts of terrorism, or indeed in extreme acts of war...I want people. We’ve got to get the balance right. I want people to be alert, not alarmed.”
Items to keep in cupboards
Mr Streeting pointed to cash supplies, tinned foods and bottled water as items households should keep in their cupboards.
The UK’s Prepare website, run by the government, already has a list of advice for households about how to get ready for issues like war, infrastructure problems or extreme weather. It says: “Consider what supplies you and your household might need during an emergency lasting a few days, such as a power cut or water outage, or situations where you are advised to stay at home or to leave your home (evacuate) for safety reasons.
“It can be helpful to keep these items in one place in your home and ideally somewhere easy to find if the lights aren’t working – if you are escaping your house due to a fire you should not take anything with you at all. You could consider keeping items you might need to take with you if asked to leave your home quickly in a spare bag – you might hear some people call this a ‘grab bag’.”
Official stockpiling advice
Its stockpiling advice includes a supply of bottled water and tinned foods that won’t be perishable. It adds: “Bottled water – there is no standard figure for this as emergencies can vary in duration and people use different amounts. A minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended by the World Health Organisation for survival. 10 litres per person per day will make you more comfortable by also providing for basic cooking and hygiene needs. Additional water might be needed to make up baby formula, for medical devices and for pets.
“Non-perishable food that doesn’t need cooking, such as ready-to-eat tinned meat, fruit or vegetables (and a tin opener). As with water, how much you need will vary based on your own circumstances. Don’t forget food for pets.”
