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Sources of support

A number of sectors provide important services and advice to businesses before and after emergencies. This page sets out background on some of these organisations, and provides details of useful websites and documents.

They are:

• Key Organisations
  • Government
  • Business continuity organisations
  • Business representative organisations
• Useful documents
  • Further information

Key Organisations

Government:

• The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) [External website] engages closely with all business, and provides a range of information and advice on business issues, including to small businesses through Business Link [External website]. Additionally, the DBERR is the lead government department [External website] for coordinating the response to emergencies affecting the oil, gas, electricity or telecommunications sectors.

• HM Treasury [External website] is the lead government department for emergencies affecting the financial sector. The Financial Sector Continuity website [External website] which is run jointly by the UK's tripartite financial authorities (HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority) provides a central point of information about work on continuity planning that is relevant to the UK's financial sector.

• The Security Service (MI5) [External website] provides information on the current major threats to UK security and practical advice to help businesses and organisations to protect against them.

• The Department for Transport [External website] - The Transport Security [External website] team is responsible for ensuring the security of the travelling public and people employed in the transport sector. They provide information for the aviation [External website], land transport [External website], and maritime [External website] sectors.

• The London Resilience Team [External website] provides information for businesses through the London Prepared website [External website]. This includes sections with advice on business continuity and risk management.

• The Environment Agency [External website] provides information to the public and businesses to help prepare those who are at risk from flooding.

• The Emergency Planning College [External website], which is part of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat [External website] in the Cabinet Office, is the Government's centre for running courses on an inter-agency basis in the field of crisis management and emergency planning.

Business continuity organisations:

• The British Standards Institute (BSI) [External website] has launched a Risk Management and Business Continuity Management Technical Standards Committee. The BSI Committees' task will be to develop national best practice documents to provide guidance for business on how best to manage risk and business continuity. The BSI has published a Publicly Available Specification on Business Continuity Management (PAS 56), which will be superseded by the new standard.

• The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) [External website] enables members to obtain guidance and support from fellow business continuity practitioners.

• The Continuity Forum [External website] was established to support and develop a range of resources for Continuity Professionals within the Business Community.

• Continuity Central [External website] provides a business continuity information resource website.

• The Institute of Risk Management [External website] is risk management's professional education body.

Business representative organisations:

• The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) [External website] aims to help create and sustain the conditions in which businesses in the United Kingdom can compete and prosper for the benefit of all.

• The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) [External website] works to promote and protect the interests of the self-employed and owners of small firms.

• The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) [External website] comprise a national network of quality-accredited Chambers of Commerce. Accredited Chambers seek to represent the interests and support the competitiveness and growth of all business in their communities and regions.

• The Forum of Private Business (FPB) [External website] is a lobbying group on behalf of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs).

• The British Retail Consortium (BRC) [External website] is a trade association representing the whole range of retailers, from the large multiples and department stores through to independents.

• The Institute of Directors [External website] provides a professional network spanning the whole range of international business leadership.

• The Association of British Insurers (ABI) [External website] represents the collective interests of the UK's insurance industry.

• The British Bankers' Association (BBA) [External website] is the principle trade association for banks operating in the UK. The BBA publishes information on business continuity for the financial sector.

• The Energy Networks Association (ENA) [External website] represents the energy networks sector - UK gas and electricity transmission and distribution licence holders.

• Water UK [External website] is the industry association that represents all UK water and wastewater service providers at national and European level.

• The British Computer Society [External website] is a representative body for those working in IT.

Useful Documents

• Pandemic Influenza Checklist for Businesses and organisations [PDF 129KB, 4 pages] To assist businesses and other organisations in developing and reviewing plans for a flu pandemic, the Government has published a checklist identifying important and specific activities which organisations can do to prepare.

• The Cabinet Office Revised Guidance on Contingency Planning for a Possible Influenza Pandemic [PDF, 260KB, 16 pages] provides guidance for all organisations. (Revised in July 2006)

• The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Business Continuity Survey 2006 Report [PDF 539KB, 16 pages]. The CMI's survey report, which was supported this year by the Cabinet Office and Continuity Forum, emphasises the importance of robust, flexible business continuity planning which is regularly rehearsed and able to handle impacts on staff and skills as well as technology and premises. It also emphasised the need for all organisations to plan for the possibility of a flu pandemic.

• Emergency Preparedness [External website] - Statutory guidance document for the Civil Contingencies Act (2004).
  • Contains chapters devoted to business continuity management [External PDF, 19 pages, 121KB] and
  • the duty on local authorities (from May 2006) to provide advice and assistance to businesses and voluntary organisations [External PDF, 19 pages, 107KB] in relation to business continuity.

• Emergency Response & Recovery [External website] - Non-statutory guidance document for the Civil Contingencies Act (2004). Provides clear information about how the Government and local responders conduct emergency response and recovery.

• Protecting Against Terrorism This booklet has been produced by the Security Service (MI5) for those who are responsible for the safety of others in businesses and in other organisations. It supersedes Bombs - Protecting People and Property, and contains protective security advice and information. [PDF, 42 pages, 879KB].

• Secure in the Knowledge: Building a Secure Business [External PDF, 48 pages, 2.63MB] London First and ACPO booklet

• Expecting the Unexpected: Business Continuity in an Uncertain World [External PDF, 32 pages, 522KB] - Joint publication from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, London First and the Business Continuity Institute

• HM Treasury - The Orange Book: Management of Risk - Principles and Concepts [External PDF, 52 pages, 473KB]

• OGC: Successful Delivery Toolkit [External website] - Describes proven good practice for procurement, programmes, projects, risk and service management.

Further information

• You can get more information, including more links, answers to frequently asked questions, and a glossary of terms, by going to the More Information section of the website.

• You can get more detailed information on civil protection topics on UK Resilience [External website].

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