The British public need to be better prepared for emergencies | Letter

Summary

Your editorial (Britain’s fragile systems: when global shocks hit your shopping bill, 1 May) makes clear that the public need to be more fully informed about global threats and actively engaged in a national resilience plan. The UK remains dangerously exposed to external shocks, whether from cyber-attacks, extreme weather triggered by climate change, or hostile state interference with our democratic processes and critical national infrastructure. A cross-party House of Lords special inquiry committee, which I chair, has been set up to examine national resilience. “Keep calm and carry on” doesn’t cut it: a plan for the 21st century needs to recognise the interconnectedness of threats: a cyber-attack can quickly escalate into power cuts, transport chaos, supply chain disruption and the collapse of public services. And this is not a case of “what if”: hybrid warfare emanating from Russia, China or Iran as cyber-attacks, disinformation or the sponsorship of proxy terrorist attacks is already commonplace. If the UK was to face an armed attack, our preparedness could look threadbare, not only in inadequate numbers of armed forces, reserves, equipment and weapons production, but in terms of the whole-of-society approach to resilience. Evidence shows that the public expect threats to become more frequent. Yet while people want to be better prepared, many do not know where to find clear, trusted guidance on what practical steps they should take. The Nordic countries have this nailed. Ambassadors from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark have told us how every citizen is routinely prepared for emergencies. Governments communicate candidly about risks and the public response has been reassurance, not alarm. Important information is distributed to every household and also to businesses, to help them maintain supply chains and financial stability. Our committee’s work offers an opportunity to achieve a similar, radical change of mindset, where preparedness and resilience are normalised into everyday life. Jean Coussins Crossbench peer; chair, House of Lords national resilience committee