Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that the UK must be ready to deal with both natural emergencies and deliberate hostile acts, urging the public and private sectors to plan for disruptions such as severe weather events and cyber intrusions.
Preparing for a range of threats
Streeting stressed that resilience is not solely a matter for the military or government agencies, saying individuals, communities and businesses should think through how they would respond if services were interrupted. He highlighted cyber attacks alongside natural disasters as examples of shocks that can have wide-ranging impacts on everyday life and economic activity.
The defence secretary framed preparedness as a shared responsibility, noting that disruptions can cascade across supply chains, communications and critical infrastructure. He urged organisations to review contingency plans and ensure they have measures in place — from backup communications to robust cybersecurity practices — to reduce the potential consequences of an incident.
Policy implications
Streeting’s remarks underline a growing emphasis within government on national resilience to both environmental and security challenges. While he did not set out new policy measures in his comments, his intervention signals continued attention at the ministerial level to cross-sector preparedness and the need for close cooperation between central government, local authorities and private companies.
As governments worldwide contend with increasing climate volatility and evolving cyber threats, the defence secretary’s appeal adds to broader debates about how best to allocate resources between immediate defence needs and longer-term resilience planning for civilian infrastructure.