Gwefan llywodraeth y DU

Co-ordination and leadership in central government

The government aims to be as open as possible about the work it does in preparing for and responding to emergencies.

The Home Secretary has overall ministerial responsibility for safety and security, and for emergency preparedness and response. Supporting ministers in lead government departments have clear ownership of specific issues - for example, the Secretary of State for Health leads the planning for containing infectious diseases. The Home Secretary chairs a ministerial cabinet committee which oversees protective security and resilience issues.

The Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) in the Cabinet Office co-ordinates the government's work to enhance the country's resilience to the full range of emergencies. The CCS co-ordinates the work of the government departments, who are responsible for contingency planning and response within their areas (eg infectious diseases falls to Department of Health; fuel disruptions falls to Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform).

• UK Resilience and Civil Contingencies Secretariat Opens new window

Looking ahead and spotting trouble

Not all emergencies are foreseeable, but for those that are, the government aims to identify these risks well in advance. The government has a ‘horizon-scanning’ and national risk assessment capability to help spot trouble in advance and ensure long-term preparedness. Horizon scanning means looking ahead at the likely challenges over the next 12 months.

Risk assessment means identifying risks over the next five years. Assessment means measuring the likelihood of a particular emergency happening, and the potential impact if it did. That then allows the government to prioritise risks and decide where it should focus its preparedness efforts and investment.

The government aims to ensure all organisations use clear and effective risk assessment to help them prepare for emergencies. It works at all levels to assess and reduce the risk from emergencies facing the country as a whole.

Being ready to respond to emergencies

The government is working to ensure that all those organisations that may have a role in responding to emergencies are ready and able to carry out that role. That means ensuring that all 'responders' (such as the emergency services) understand their role and where they fit in to the overall response. To support this aim, the government has in place a ‘programme of exercises’, which are simulated emergencies designed to test the preparedness and response of national, regional and local organisations. The programme covers a wide range of possible emergencies, including accidents, natural disasters and acts of terrorism.

• Programme of exercises Opens new window

The Civil Contingencies Act puts in place a framework for civil protection to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This legislation sets out how organisations, particularly local responders, go about preparing for emergencies.

The capabilities programme is the core framework through which the government is seeking to build resilience across all parts of the United Kingdom. 'Capability' is a term that includes all of those elements required to respond to an emergency (like plans, equipment, people, training and supplies).

The programme identifies the generic (or general) capabilities that underpin the UK's resilience to disruptive emergencies, and ensures that each of these capabilities are developed. These capabilities include being able to respond to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incidents, being able to provide essential services (such as food and water) and making sure that the government is able to warn and inform the public about the possible dangers of an emergency.

• UK Resilience - Capabilities programme Opens new window

Business continuity

An important part of preparing for emergencies is to make sure that organisations think about the risks they face, and develop plans for how they will continue critical functions during an emergency, and recover effectively afterwards.

Government departments have plans in place to ensure they can continue to function in the event of an emergency. Use the link below to find out more about what your business can do.

Working together

Central government works closely with the devolved administrations (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), regional government offices, local authorities and emergency services. Officials regularly go out to visit practitioners, and attend the full range of multi-agency forums, particularly Regional and Local Resilience Forums (see the English regions and local resilience links below).

Central, regional and local organisations also train together regularly to test all levels of emergency preparedness and response. In addition to everyday communications, central government also provides guidance to local and regional organisations on the full range of civil protection topics.