Who is involved?

A terrorist attack is a crime and therefore a matter for the Chief Officer of Police in whose area the offence has been committed.

Regardless of any help or support provided by government, the Chief Officer will have operational control at the scene.

The police will activate a Strategic Coordination Centre (SCC), which comprises the organisations essential for the immediate response, for example, the emergency services, health advisory team, and the military.

The SCC (commonly referred to as 'Gold') will be responsible for controlling any spontaneous incident, consequence management, resilience, reassurance and restoring normality. The Strategic Coordination Group (SCG) will be chaired by the Police Gold Commander, appointed by the local Chief Officer of Police.

Crisis committee

Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR) is a cross-departmental crisis committee that is formed to respond to emergencies. In a terrorist attack COBR could be chaired by the Prime Minister or the Home Office and will include representatives from other government departments and agencies.

The Home Office may deploy an official to act as the government Liaison Officer (GLO) as a link between COBR and the SCC. The GLO may be supported by a government Liaison Team, which may consist of press officers, and representatives from other government departments as necessary.