The Civil Contingencies Act and how to respond to it

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 is intended to deliver “a single framework for civil protection in the United Kingdom capable of meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century”. The Act reflects increasing concern about threats from terrorism, climate change, pandemics (such as “Bird Flu”) and industrial accidents (such as the recent incident at Buncefield) and their potential effects on the economy and administration, especially when business, government and the lives of ordinary citizens rely increasingly on systems and infrastructure that can easily be disrupted.