UK politics: Government won’t put together a shopping list for the public to stockpile for an emergency
Advice on emergency supplies
The government has urged people to prepare enough supplies to last 72 hours if a disaster occurs. The announcement prompted questions for Treasury minister James Murray during broadcast interviews.
Murray said the government would provide information online and run a public awareness campaign. He said individuals should decide which supplies they need to keep at home.
Services hit by cyber attempts
The preparedness advice came a day after 32 government services were taken offline. The disruption followed millions of attempts to exploit a weakness in the coding of multiple websites. Ministers have issued several warnings over the past 18 months about the risk of hybrid attacks originating overseas.
Budget and campaign events
The discussion took place less than a week before the first budget from Andy Burnham and John Healey. Murray also said reducing what he called pointless bureaucracy was central to the Chancellor’s thinking.
Key points
- The government recommends keeping 72 hours of supplies at home for emergencies.
- James Murray said people should choose what supplies they need.
- Thirty-two government services went offline after millions of attempts to exploit a website coding weakness.
- Ministers have warned repeatedly about overseas hybrid attacks over the past 18 months.