UK Resilience

Handling a Crisis: Lead Government Departments

Introduction

This guidance has been set out to enable Departments to carry out effectively the responsibilities and functions associated with their role as Lead Government Departments. It describes the key processes and disciplines necessary in planning for and responding to crises for which they are either the nominated lead or have key responsibilities to act during the progress of the crisis. It also describes how these processes will be monitored and audited in order to achieve a uniformly high standard of planning and preparation.

The guidance consists of 11 chapters. They are: the Core Guidance document itself (Chapters 1-10), and Guidance for Departmental Internal Auditors and Other Reviewers (Chapter 11.)

See the The Lead Government Department and its role - Guidance and Best Practice (CCS: March 2004) [PDF, 50 pages, 612KB]

Emergencies

Click on the links to see areas of responsibility and departments.

1. Default position
2. Terrorism: conventional/siege/hostage
3. Civil defence
4. Flooding (coastal or riverine)
5. Pollution to groundwaters and surface waters, marine and coastal waters (oil, chemical or gas) & marine salvage control
6. Radiation hazards
7. Hazardous Materials - chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents arising from non-terrorist causes
8. Radiation hazards (outside the UK)
9. Satellite incidents
10. Emergencies on offshore installations
11. Disasters overseas
12. Mass influx of people from abroad
13. Search and rescue
14. Severe storms and weather
15. Transport accidents
16. Disasters in sports grounds
17. Dam failures
18. Earthquakes
19. Major structural failures in buildings
20. Serious industrial accidents
21. Unexploded wartime ordnance
22. Major software failures
23. Electronic attack
24. Disruption of supply chains
25. Animal disease and welfare
26. Food contamination
27. Drinking water contamination
28. Infectious diseases
29. Plant diseases

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