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Burghart acknowledged the need for planning but criticised the Government's economic situation. He questioned how society will be informed about the plan, noting issues with tackling Islamist extremism and a controversial definition of Islamophobia. He also raised concerns over handling widespread industrial action and queried specifics on defence spending increases. Burghart welcomed certain aspects like waste water analysis during pandemics, the biothreats radar, and pandemic exercises but sought clarity on timelines and effectiveness.
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Mr Western welcomed the statement, referencing Exercise Pegasus and the need for a data-driven approach to resilience. He also pointed out the importance of community resilience in preparing for future emergencies and asked for access to indices that will highlight critical national infrastructure risks.
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Ms Olney thanked the Chancellor for the statement, emphasising the need for public information campaigns on resilience building. She raised concerns about relying solely on text alerts and advocated for a multi-faceted approach to reach all sections of society, including those in rural areas with poor mobile coverage.
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Ms Hack asked how insights from local resilience forums will be incorporated into planning and preparation for future emergencies. She highlighted the importance of learning from past experiences while remaining flexible to adapt to new types of threats.
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Ms Ingham questioned how rural areas with poor mobile reception will be able to receive emergency alerts. She pointed out that about 95% of the population is covered by 4G or 5G access, but asked for ongoing efforts to improve coverage.
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Mr Carmichael emphasised the need for resilience in all areas, particularly in remote regions like Orkney and Shetland. He highlighted concerns about the potential consequences of withdrawing copper wire phone lines without sufficient resilience built into their replacements.
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Mr Davies welcomed the Government's investment in securing the telecommunications network but questioned whether this would extend to undersea cables which face perpetual threats from hostile actors. He highlighted the importance of defending international communication structures under the sea.
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Dr Murrison welcomed Exercise Tier 1 but raised concerns about transparency and making public learnings from national exercises to ensure that weaknesses are addressed promptly.
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Mr McKee highlighted the National Audit Office's identification of significant cyber-resilience gaps in 58 key Government systems. He asked for more measures to ensure that these systems are secure and resilient against potential threats.
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Asked how the resilience plan would encourage closer working between UK Government and devolved Governments, highlighting the importance of planning and responding to emergencies at all levels.
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Inquired about future flood defence expenditure for the Humber region following a tidal surge in 2013. The Chancellor confirmed £4 billion had been set aside for investment in flood defences.
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Asked what steps were being taken to ensure that support would reach vulnerable people more quickly during emergencies, citing the conclusions of the COVID inquiry. The Chancellor emphasised the importance of community solidarity and better data on vulnerable customers.
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Asked whether climate-related emergencies were a core part of the resilience strategy. The Chancellor agreed that climate breakdown posed significant risks to infrastructure, but did not commit to making it central to the resilience plans.
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Called for a responsibility revolution where all businesses and individuals play their part in national interest. He asked about better public information on how to increase resilience, which the Chancellor supported as crucial.
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Asked for updates on excluding Chinese equipment from sensitive Government sites under national intelligence laws. The Chancellor acknowledged these were key issues related to vital infrastructure protection.
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Emphasised the need for resilience strategies due to climate change, especially concerning droughts despite frequent flooding in certain areas. She requested mayoral authorities to introduce Living With Water plans.
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Asked about how the action plan would help with requests from businesses for two-way dialogue during cyber-attacks, citing evidence given by Marks & Spencer. The Chancellor confirmed ongoing discussions with M&S and other companies.
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Questioned how the resilience action plan would encourage greater co-operation between UK Government and devolved Governments during emergencies, emphasising the need for less partisan approaches in emergency preparedness.
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Welcomed the statement but raised concerns about the effectiveness of mobile phone alerts. She suggested considering sirens or other means to alert people during emergencies, which the Chancellor acknowledged as under consideration.
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Inquired about updates regarding a dedicated resilience academy in North Yorkshire and its coverage across the UK. The Chancellor confirmed plans for training 4,000 people annually including first responders and private sector representatives.
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Highlighted the need for a whole-society approach to resilience, questioning if a lack of grit among young people was identified as a risk on the national risk register. The Chancellor agreed that public engagement was crucial.
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Expressed concern about climate change and the need for effective local community interventions to reduce flooding in Somerset. Asked how the new resilience action plan will support such initiatives.
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Stated that the Government has set aside £4 billion for investment in flood defences over the coming years and emphasised the need for protections against climate-related risks.
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Asked about plans to ensure capacity to treat patients should an NHS attack or shutdown take place, highlighting recent cyber-attacks on M&S and others as examples of potential devastation.