Security Minister (): On 14 July 2026 the government published its annual
update on the implementation of the Resilience Action Plan,
outlining significant steps made to bolster the UK's resilience
in the year following its publication. We also announced our
intention to launch a campaign to raise awareness of the simple
steps people can take to be ready for everyday emergencies.
The storms last winter and the wildfires this summer have shown
how severe weather events can cause disruption to our everyday
lives and impact the services we rely on, like phones, power,
water and the internet. They have also shown the strength of our
communities, the skill and bravery of our emergency services, and
are a reminder that we can all play our part to keep ourselves,
our loved ones, and our communities safe in times of emergency.
Since committing to launch a campaign, we have:
- published updated research that shows just 13% of people in
the UK feel they're prepared for an emergency that could cut them
off from the services they rely on, and that 84% want the
Government to do more to share information about the steps they
can take to increase their preparedness;
- met with international partners to gain insight about their
efforts to improve household resilience; and
- engaged with more than five hundred organisations from across
the country - ranging from emergency services, local authorities,
businesses, voluntary community groups, charities, and advocacy
organisations representing older people, disabled people, people
with mental health needs, and people who rely on foodbanks - to
help ensure our advice is simple, relatable, reassuring and meets
communities' needs for a range of emergency scenarios.
I am therefore pleased to confirm that we have today published
updated advice for households at GOV.UK/BeReady, and that members
of the public will begin to see more information about what they
can do, as part of a three-year campaign to Be Ready'.
The updated advice calls on households to be self-sufficient for
three days in the case of an emergency and includes a checklist
of simple steps people can take. This brings the UK into line
with many of our European peers who also have the three day
message at the heart of their campaign. There are two key
actions:
- sign up to the Priority Services Register if they are
eligible; and
- have three days of bottled water and non-perishable food
stored at home.
Many simple steps on the website are completely free and items on
the checklist can be gathered or ticked off overtime. For
example, signing up to the Priority Services Register is a
straightforward process that doesn't cost anything. Taking a few
minutes to ensure eligible households are signed up ensures
utility companies know who prioritise for additional support in
an outage.
We also understand that not everyone will be
able to take all of the simple steps. This campaign is simply
about providing basic advice on how to prepare, so people can
take the steps that work for them. Our emergency services will be
ready to respond when needed. And other charities, community
organisations and services will be there too.
Because when households take steps to look
after themselves during an emergency, it reduces the strain on
our emergency services. This ensures first responders can help
those most in need first.
As part of the steady campaign rollout we
will also publish a partner toolkit with products and information
that community groups and local businesses can use to share
messages locally.
Be Ready' has been developed by the UK
Government, working closely with the Scottish Government, Welsh
Government, and Northern Ireland Executive - as well as mayors
and local councils - as we collectively seek to improve national
resilience across all communities in the UK.
