Wes Streeting has ordered Britons to stockpile tinned food, bottled water and cash in case of war or natural disaster.
The Secretary of Defence said the UK needed to take a “whole society approach” to preparedness and resilience.
He also said Britain faces a “greater risk of war” with Russia than any other point in his lifetime.
Mr Streeting told The Sun, in an interview on the eve of the Labour Party conference, the request was “just a simple ask” of Britons.
He said: “Do they have what they need indoors, should they lose access to their online banking for a period? Should they have a power cut?
“If there was a risk of wildfire, if there was a risk of flooding, sometimes it feels like even in communities that experience those sorts of events periodically, we’re not as prepared as we should be.”
The Secretary of Defence said Vladimir Putin was “constantly testing” the defences of the UK and Nato as he insisted Labour would deliver the “biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War”.
Mr Streeting said Britons should have routine items on hand to ensure the country’s preparedness.
Wes Streeting said the UK was now at a ‘greater risk of war’ than any other point in his lifetime
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“It’s having some cash at home, having a supply of bottled water indoors, having some tinned goods that you can access if your electric goes and you’re not able to cook on the hob or in the microwave,” he said.
“These are basic things, and of course, you know, a lot of people just have that in their cupboard naturally.”
Last month, the Cabinet Office was urged to accelerate planning for Britain’s home defence programme.
Certain aspects of the plan to transform the UK in case of emergency, which previously had deadlines of 2035, have now been brought forward to 2030.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis will brief critical infrastructure firms to ‘ensure they understand and are prepared for the threats we face’
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The former Health Secretary said individuals should consider how they might prepare for “acts of nature, acts of terror, or indeed in extreme acts of war”.
“That can only be a good thing for national resilience,” he added.
“I want people. We’ve got to get the balance right. I want people to be alert, not alarmed.”
It is not only individual citizens who have been instructed to take action in the case of a potential Russian attack.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis will brief critical infrastructure firms in closed-door meetings, he announced on Friday.
The meetings will detail how Moscow uses digital intrusions, physical sabotage plots and coordinated information warfare to achieve its aims.
The Security Minister said: “Strong defences are built on a clear understanding of the threat.
“That’s why I’ll be chairing this briefing, to share world-class intelligence with some of the most important organisations in the country to ensure they understand and are prepared for the threats we face.”