The Be Ready campaign may offer sensible advice in principle ( Every Briton should stockpile water and food supplies, government advises, 22 October ), but as a midwife working in Tower Hamlets, one of the poorest boroughs in London, I can see first-hand that its practical recommendations risk excluding precisely those families who are already most vulnerable.

For families living in a single room in a shared house, storing nine litres of water per person alongside three days’ worth of essential supplies may simply be unrealistic. When families are already struggling with the cost of food, heating and everyday necessities, buying additional emergency provisions may also be financially impossible.

Perhaps local councils could create a stockpile hub where those in need could access the recommended supplies, free of charge.…