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Government Resilience Action Plan 2025-07-08
08 July 2025
Lead MP
Pat McFadden
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
NHSEconomy
Other Contributors: 24
At a Glance
Pat McFadden raised concerns about government resilience action plan 2025-07-08 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The Chancellor outlined the Government’s resilience action plan, emphasising the importance of resilience in a world marked by international upheaval and conflicts. He highlighted both 'deep strength'—such as a robust NHS, secure energy systems, and flood defences—and 'insurance', which includes emergency systems and scientific capabilities for crisis management. The plan focuses on three key areas: continuous assessment of UK's resilience, enabling all parts of society to take action, and improving core public sector resilience through measures like funding for new flood defences, telecoms network security, and a resilience academy.
Alex Burghart
Con
Brentwood and Ongar
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.
Matt Western
Lab
Warwick and Leamington
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.
Sarah Olney
LD
Richmond Park
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.
Amanda Hack
Lab
North West Leicestershire
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.
Leigh Ingham
Lab
Stafford
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.
Orkney and Shetland
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.
Jonathan Davies
Lab
Mid Derbyshire
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.
Andrew Murrison
Con
South West Wiltshire
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.
Gordon McKee
Lab
Glasgow South
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.
Claire Hughes
Lab
Bangor Aberconwy
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.
Martin Vickers
Con
Brigg and Immingham
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.
Chris Bloore
Lab
Redditch
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.
Adrian Ramsay
Green
Waveney Valley
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.
John Slinger
Lab
Rugby
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.
Gavin Williamson
Con
Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge
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.
Rachael Maskell
Lab/Co-op
York Central
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.
Maidenhead
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.
Johanna Baxter
Lab
Paisley and Renfrewshire South
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.
Edinburgh West
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.
Robin Swann
UUP
South Antrim
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.
Lincoln Jopp
Con
Spelthorne
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.
Somerset MP
Party not specified
not specified
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.
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.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
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.
Government Response
Minister McFadden addressed a range of concerns raised by Members including data collection, community engagement, cyber-resilience gaps, and rural mobile coverage. He emphasised the Government’s commitment to improving resilience, ensuring public access to relevant information via gov.uk/prepare, working closely with telecom companies for better coverage, and defending subsea cables against threats. The Chancellor provided details about the Government's emergency resilience plan, including increased investment in flood defences and water infrastructure, better communication with businesses during cyber-attacks, and ensuring support reaches vulnerable people more quickly. Acknowledged the importance of defending the NHS from cyber attacks and ensuring that patients do not face delays in treatment due to such attacks. Noted that £4 billion has been set aside for investment in flood defences.
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Assessment & feedback
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