Deputy Prime Minister annual Resilience Statement
Annual Resilience Statement delivered by the Deputy Prime Minister to the House of Commons.
Mr Speaker, we live in a dangerous and volatile world.
The risks we face are more numerous, more complex and are evolving more rapidly than ever before.
The aftermath of a global pandemic…
Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine…
…extreme weather events…
…cyber attacks…
…malign AI use-cases…
…all of these and more threaten the safety, security and stability of our country.
Protecting its people is the first duty of government…
…which is why resilience is a top priority for this government.
It is, quite simply, the means by which we seek to prevent risks from becoming a reality.
Mr Speaker, when I published the Resilience Framework last December…
I promised to provide an annual update to the House on our progress.
This statement fulfils that commitment.
The accompanying paper sets out - in full - the progress we have made.
But, Mr Speaker, allow me to detail to the House the key developments that - I am confident - have greatly improved our resilience.
We have made changes to our structures…
…such as the introduction of the Resilience Directorate, COBR Unit and Situation Centre.
We have initiated new capabilities…
… such as the new Emergency Alerts system.
We have bolstered our resources towards severe threats…
Such as through our Biological Security Strategy - underpinned by over £1.5 billion of annual investment.
And we are embedding a ‘whole of society approach’ to resilience…
…that reflects the fact that everybody has their part to play.
As Deputy Prime Minister, I am the lead Minister for resilience…
…and I chair the new ‘resilience’ sub-committee of the National Security Council.
Government needs to be ready to respond to any and all risks that may emerge…
… so we must maintain the flexibility to respond to whatever confronts us.
In the last year, as Chairman of the UK Resilience Forum, I have regularly convened blue light and local responders, industry leaders, and representatives from the voluntary sector with government.
We have continued to play an active role with international partners – the OECD, NATO, 5Eyes and bilaterally with our allies.
Through the Department for Levelling Up, we are significantly strengthening the capability and capacity of Local Resilience Fora…
And the National Risk Register published this year was the most transparent ever – because it is vital that we all understand the threats we face.
When I say all of us, I mean the whole of society:
From Government…
…to emergency responders…
…industry, voluntary and community leaders…
…and citizens too.
Last week I was at Porton Down to inspect the vital work done there to protect the UK from chemical, biological and radiological threats.
I saw the laboratories where highly-skilled staff dedicate themselves to improving our preparedness for future pandemics…
…and defending our country against malicious attacks such as the poisonings in Salisbury.
The people I met there – and our wider ‘resilience’ community – are on the frontline.
They make our people safer and our country stronger…
…and so, today, let me champion them and pay tribute to them for the work they do.
Mr Speaker, our work to make our country as resilient as possible is a constant endeavour…
… the Resilience Framework sets out ambitious plans to continue to strengthen the frameworks, systems and capabilities which underpin
the UK’s resilience through to 2030…
… and we are building on those plans.
The government has a role in bringing all actors together…
…and to give them the skills they need.
So today I can announce that we are developing a new UK Resilience Academy that will improve the skills of all these groups.
It will provide a range of learning and training opportunities for the ‘whole of society’.
For professionals there will be a curriculum to build skills, knowledge and networks…
…and a centre of excellence for exercising.
For businesses there will be greater guidance…
…and particular assistance on threats to Critical National Infrastructure and cyber.
And for citizens there will be a unified government resilience website…
…which will provide practical advice on how households can prepare, as part of a campaign to raise awareness of simple steps individuals can take to improve their resilience.
Mr Speaker, the Covid pandemic demonstrated the overwhelming community spirit in our country…
Whether it was the vaccine army…
… the thousands of former NHS workers who returned to the front-line…
… or the millions who - through little acts of kindness - sought to protect the vulnerable and lonely…
…And so the website will also provide a volunteering hub:
A ‘one-stop shop’ for those who want to help their communities when crises strike.
We are also continuing to develop our approach to chronic risks.
These are the challenges which, if left unchecked, will continue to erode our economy, society, community and national security.
Building on the National Risk Register, published in August, we are developing new analysis and a programme of action that we will publish next year.
As the Covid-19 pandemic showed, shocks have impacts across the whole of society, including imposing significant economic consequences.
That’s why we have allocated an additional £10 million of new funding for research on risks to the economy and to our public finances…
… to better factor in the savings we can achieve in the long-run by spending on resilience today…
…ensuring the stability of our economy and support the sustainability of our public finances well into the future.
Mr Speaker, we have made considerable progress over the past year…
…and our focus is now firmly on the months, years and decades ahead.
We are learning the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic - which shone a light on the importance of resilience…
As well as the lessons of the UK’s world-leading vaccination programme…
…which set us free again…
… and demonstrated the importance of prevention rather than cure.
Resilience is our immunisation against risk.
These measures are a shot in the arm for Britain and its national security.
The world may be more dangerous than ever…
…but we will be better prepared than ever.
And I commend this statement to the House.