New National Preparedness Commission established

Despite pandemics featuring prominently on the National Risk Register for the past decade, the impact of COVID-19 has been dramatic. Chaired by Lord Harris – a former reviewer of London’s terrorist preparedness – a new National Preparedness Commission has been established to ensure the country is better prepared.

The intention is not to criticise the handling of past crises, but to look to the future by overseeing a programme of strategic work intended to encourage immediate action to tackle the greatest threats facing the UK.

Made up of leading figures with hands on experience of responding to emergencies, the commission will hear from experts across the world, hold roundtable events, and publish guides and policy papers outlining good practice to ensure an effective response.

The objective of the National Preparedness Commission is to urge policymakers ‘to think ahead’ to ensure our society, infrastructure and financial systems are able to cope with major shocks in the future. The Daily Telegraph and the BBC covered the launch of the commission and Lord Harris was interviewed by Ian King on Sky News.

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