The UK government has launched a new campaign urging the public to prepare for emergencies such as extreme weather, cyber attacks and what the defence secretary calls 'state-sponsored terrorism'.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting announced the 'Be Ready' campaign on Wednesday, with new guidance being pushed out to help households and businesses brace for a broad range of threats that could affect the country.
Campaign to run across social media and radio
The campaign will appear in various forms around the country, including on social media feeds and radio adverts, over the next three years. It will set out 'simple steps' that people can take to be more prepared for an emergency.
These include signing up for the Priority Services Register, which helps utilities companies identify households that might need extra support during disruptions, and stocking up on non-perishable food and bottled water at home.
Focus on 'three days of disruption'
The campaign centres on the idea of people coping with 'three days of disruption' – a concept borrowed from similar approaches in France, Ireland and the Netherlands. Streeting echoed recent warnings from figures including Army chief Sir Roly Walker and MI5's Sir Ken McCallum about the need for a bigger focus on preparedness.
Speaking at a new tank gun barrel factory in Telford, West Midlands, Streeting said: 'We have to step up and take seriously our national resilience as well as our national defence. It's really important that we ask households and businesses, are they prepared? Are they ready? Do they know how they would respond in the event of everyday challenges that might manifest themselves?'
Threat of 'state-sponsored terrorism'
He highlighted the threat of hostile states hitting the UK with covert attacks sometimes called hybrid warfare or grey zone threats, but which he said he prefers to call 'state-sponsored terrorism'. Such incidents could include 'increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks', he suggested.
In his annual threat update speech last week, MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum said his message to the British public was: 'You have a stake in our national resilience. You too have a vital role to play. It might be quiet, it might be lifesaving. It all counts.'
