Wes Streeting calls on Britons to prepare for food shortages as Labour rolls out emergency initiative for UK

Wes Streeting has called on Britons to gear up for food shortages driven by a rise in cyberattacks.

The Defence Secretary explained the Government had kickstarted a "national resilience conversations" and prepare for "everyday risks".

Earlier today, the Government unveiled its new "Be Ready" initiative, a three-year plan designed to ensure households across the UK are better equipped to cope when essential services face temporary disruption.

The campaign sets out updated guidance for families and individuals on how to prepare for events such as extreme weather that can knock out power, water supplies, telephone networks and internet connectivity.

Mr Streeting said: "We are asking households and businesses: are they prepared, are they ready and do they know how they will respond in the event of everyday challenges that might manifest themselves?

"But we’ll also need to take the country a step further and ask them: are they prepared for increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks on our businesses?

"Are they prepared for the eventuality that there may be disruptions on essential supply chains caused by hostile state actors or terrorists?

"How would we cope if the payment systems at the local supermarket went down? Those are the sorts of our everyday challenges we could face, and it’s right that we ask the country to be ready for those things."

The latest initiative marks the first phase of a broader effort to strengthen public resilience, with advice published today encouraging people to take a handful of practical, largely cost-free measures well before any emergency strikes.

Among the key recommendations is registering for the Priority Services Register, a free scheme that enables gas, water and electricity providers to identify customers who may require additional help during an emergency.

Households are also urged to maintain a modest stock of long-life food and bottled water at home.

At the core of the guidance is the principle that people should be ready to manage independently for up to three days if services are interrupted, a benchmark already adopted by several European nations.

Many of the suggested actions cost nothing at all, while others have been designed to keep expenses to a minimum.

The launch also brings Britain into step with its European counterparts, which already operate comparable public readiness programmes.

Ministers drew on lessons and best practice from abroad when developing the guidance, with France, Ireland and the Netherlands all advising their populations to prepare for a similar three-day period without normal services.

Local resilience forums throughout the UK were also closely consulted to ensure the advice reflects what works at community level.

More than 500 organisations nationwide, spanning charities and businesses alike, have already committed to distributing campaign materials through their own networks and communities.

In the weeks ahead, targeted radio and social media adverts will focus on groups considered most vulnerable during everyday emergencies, particularly families with young children and older people.

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The campaign was shaped in partnership with charities and advocates representing communities that are frequently overlooked, including those in insecure housing and food bank users.

The goal is that if those who can prepare do so, emergency responders can concentrate resources on the most vulnerable.

Backing the initiative, Security Minister Dan Jarvis declared that "those who can follow this advice should follow this advice".

He said: "By taking simple steps to be ready for everyday emergencies like severe storms, people can reduce pressure on emergency services, helping them prioritise people who need more support in an emergency.

"This is just the sort of community-focused campaign the UK needs to improve our resilience as a nation. It will bring us into line with European counterparts, where advice like this is a normal part of everyday life."

Laura Scott, Director for UK Resilience at the British Red Cross said: "We can’t control when emergencies happen, but we can all take some simple steps to be prepared, so that when they do, we are ready to help our friends, families and neighbours.

"We know from our work across the UK that local people know their communities best and want to play a part when a crisis happens.

"Having clear and trusted advice for people, especially those who may be more at-risk, could help reduce the impact of crises and even save lives."