In this second episode of the UKRA’s new podcast, we welcome the Director of Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR)*, Roger Hargreaves, into the Round to discuss the UK’s central government arrangements for responding to serious domestic and international crises.The conversation offers an insightful overview of COBR’s structural role and functional remit within government, and in the wider, national resilience context. It also underscores the critical role of local resilience partners in a national crisis response, and includes personal reflections on how the UKs central crisis response has evolved in recent years.

*COBR is the Cabinet Office-led mechanism for co‑ordinating UK central government’s acute response to emergencies. For more information on the central government response to crisis see The Amber Book on gov.uk.