Today we received through the Royal Mail a copy of the government’s much vaulted document "Preparing for Emergencies", which has really bought home the threat that many people – and too many civilians – face day in, day out. On very few occasions are the British public ever forced to face these kinds of realities and a good job too. I hope that as many people as possible read this booklet.

What, for me, was the most shocking was that parents are discouraged from collecting their children from school – one of the most natural reactions – in the event of a national emergency. Parents, grandparents, teachers and pupils should read the information and be prepared. Not scare mongering, as some on the left would have us believe, but rightful consideration.