By Dan Ilett, 29 November 2005 11:30
NEWS
London's financial sector has been testing its preparedness for terrorist attacks, natural disasters and widespread infrastructure damage.
More than 1,000 people from the Tripartite Authorities (HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority) and 80 UK organisations took part in the test, which included simulations of car bomb attacks, casualties, market responses and news reports.
Companies taking part in the event yesterday also ran their own internal business continuity exercises alongside the main event.
The exercise, which was attended by officials from the EU and the US, was the largest ever market-wide test of its kind, the Financial Services Authority said.
The exercise was organised by the Tripartite Authorities who would be responsible for co-ordinating the markets' response to such an incident.
The City of London police, Canary Wharf Management and the London Resilience Team took part to make the day as realistic as possible.
Accounting firm KPMG will report early in 2006 on the effectiveness of the sector's preparations.
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1. Not scared but dumb-founded
Cut power, gas and water. Why overcomplicate a 'disaster' by assuming it will come again in the same form as before, i.e. as a car bomb or 'dirty bomb'?
As the last petrol blockade showed and as a gas shortage is expected to show (not to mention the electricity blackouts during the famous 'winter of discontent' (strikes) showed, all a terrorist has to do to bring this country to its knees is to stop the supply of utilities - gas and electricity being the main ones, but also a water shortage (due to 'doping' or contamination) would hit millions. This is FAR more a threat to millions of citizens than a car bomb that would bring down a copule companies in The City!
Ask your politicians why - in the name of cost-effectiveness - is it outsourcing the nation's dependance upon these vital utilities to Eastern European countries - or to ANY foreign country!?
The UK MUST REMAIN self sufficient in times of world catastrophe - can't anyone else see that? Are our politicians totally blind to this?