Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent outputs have been delivered by his Department in relation to the National Conversation as part of the Home Defence Programme.

The UK’s security depends on a society that is informed, prepared and able to respond with confidence to risks when it matters most. The Government is committed to driving forward a public conversation on risks to strengthen national resilience and readiness.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the ‘national conversation’ will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach.

We have made a series of announcements recently regarding risk and preparedness, including updating classified government crisis plans known as the War Book. This work will help departments plan to respond to threats against the UK, with these plans being tested in next year’s Home Defence exercise ALBISTON SHADOW. This will be the largest UK home defence exercise in several decades.