Most emergencies in the United Kingdom are handled at the local level by local responders with no direct involvement from central government.  However, in some instances the scale and complexity of an emergency is such that some degree of central government support or co-ordination becomes necessary.

The Home Secretary has overall Ministerial responsibility for safety and security, and hence for emergency preparedness and response. Supporting him, lead Ministers in lead departments have clear ownership of specific issues - for example, the Secretary of State for Health is in the lead on planning for infectious diseases. The Home Secretary chairs a Ministerial Cabinet Committee, DOP(IT)(PSR), which oversees protective security and resilience issues.

The Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) in the Cabinet Office co-ordinates the UK Government's work to enhance the country's resilience to the full range of emergencies. The CCS co-ordinates the work of the Government Departments, who are responsible for contingency planning and response within their areas (e.g. infectious diseases falls to Department of Health; fuel disruptions falls to Department of Trade & Industry).

Civil Contingencies Committee (CCC)

Collective decision making within government is delivered through the Cabinet Committee system.  Decision making during emergencies follows the same pattern.  But because of the unpredictable nature of emergencies, the government maintains arrangements for a dedicated committee which is activated only in the event of a major or national emergency - the Civil Contingencies Committee (CCC).

The CCC has only one standing member, the Home Secretary, and other ministers are invited to attend depending on the nature of the emergency.