Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 9
9
The National Security Risk Assessment, which sets out government’s assessment of the main risks facing...
Conclusion
The National Security Risk Assessment, which sets out government’s assessment of the main risks facing the UK and its interests overseas, is classified. Government has published a summary of this assessment and of the mitigations it has put in place every two or three years since 2008.11 The last edition of this public-facing National Risk Register was published in December 2020.12 The Cabinet Office acknowledged that government has a chequered history in communicating risks to the public and stated that government’s messaging on risks should be more balanced, accessible to non-experts and lend itself to practical actions.13 It noted that clearer public communication of risks would help people make evidence-based choices on how to prepare for the impacts of risk events. It would also support government’s goal of engaging the wider population in government’s “judgments about what is an acceptable level of risk and what is the correct level of investment to prevent those risks in the future”. The Cabinet Office stated that clearer communication of risk is one of the foundational principles of the government’s resilience strategy, which had over one million different interactions and is due to be published in 2022.14
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2022 3.2 The National Risk Register (NRR) provides a public overview of the key risks that have the potential to cause significant disruption in the United Kingdom and is based on the classified NSRA. The forthcoming Resilience Strategy will set out how the government intends to build on the NRR to better communicate risk to the public, including through enhanced Parliamentary reporting and debate, and improved public access to information about risk. 3.3 With regards to lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, quantitative and qualitative assessments of public awareness and attitudes, the impact of communications activity, and other insights from key audiences were continually gathered throughout the pandemic to inform and optimise the response in real time and learn lessons for the future. 3.4 For example, drawing on evaluation and audience insights, DHSC supplemented Downing Street press conferences with a range of credible clinical and scientific voices to boost public trust and support key messaging. Utilising insights from a range of sources, DHSC tailored communications campaigns to enhance engagement with youth, minority and geographically diverse communities. Insights on barriers to COVID-19 vaccine uptake also informed the rollout of resources, such as the provision of key educational and explainer content in up to 28 languages and formats.