What is an emergency?
The Civil Contingencies Act defines an emergency as:
- an event or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare in a place in the United Kingdom
- an event or situation which threatens serious damage to the environment of a place in the United Kingdom, or
- war, or terrorism, which threatens serious damage to the security of the United Kingdom.
In practical terms, emergencies could include:
- a pandemic flu outbreak
- a major flooding incident
- widespread lack of electricity over a long period of time
- a gas leak requiring residents to be evacuated from their homes.
The emergency could be abroad but affecting UK residents, such as the evacuation of British citizens from a country due to increased violence in the area.