UK Government Decontamination
Service
The
UK Government Decontamination Service (sometimes
written without the UK prefix or abbreviated to
GDS) is an organisation within the UK Government that provides advice
and guidance to help the UK
resist and
recover from any deliberate or accidental release of chemical,
biological, radiological or nuclear materials (CBRN) or from major accidental releases of hazardous
materials (HAZMAT).
GDS was
established as an executive agency
of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs
(DEFRA) and since 1st April 2009 has been a
constituent part of The Food and Environment
Research Agency, a newly formed executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (DEFRA). The first, and only, Chief
Executive of the GDS agency was Robert Bettley-Smith
FRICS, appointed on
the agency's creation in 2005.
While the agency has pointed out that it was not set up due to
increased
CBRN terrorism in particular, it accepts that
the driving force behind the agency's creation was the increased
threat the UK faced from
terrorism as a
whole and the need to strengthen the level of the nation's
preparedness across the board.
History
The CBRN Resilience Programme was established in October 2001, as
part of the Government's Capability Programme, with the main aim of
ensuring that, in the event of a terrorist attack, the response
from both central and local government and the emergency services
would be quick and effective enough to minimise the impact on
people, property and the environment. The programme, as well as
forums and sub-groups within it, is chaired by the
Home Office. Partners and stakeholders in the
programme represent bodies throughout local and central government
and the public and private sectors. The decision to form the agency
was developed through the CBRN Resilience Programme.
Throughout 2003 and 2004, national guidance on the
decontamination of both people and the
environment was published by DEFRA. In December 2003, a
Government-sponsored report as to whether the UK needed a national
organisation to help in the recovery phase of any accident
identified that the need existed. Local authorities had already
been responsible for the clean-up in the aftermath of such crises
(this responsibility would be set out in the
Civil Contingencies Act 2004)
and would remain so. The new organisation would exist to aid those
efforts, not assume responsibility for them.
In March, 2004, the Government announced that it was actively
considering setting up a UK-wide service to provide advice to those
bodies undertaking decontamination and clean-up after a release,
deliberate or accidental, of hazardous materials. In January 2005,
the then Minister for the Environment and Agri-environment,
Elliot Morley, MP, announced that the
Government had spent the last year working out the potential costs
and benefits of such a service and now intended to set one up.
On the
21st of July, 2005, the then Secretary of State, The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett, MP gave a
written statement to the House
, announcing the creation of the agency and the
appointment of its Chief Executive. It came into existence
on the 1st of October that year.
Although without any powers itself, the new agency would provide
its assistance to the whole of the UK. In Wales, where CBRN
resilience remained undevolved, the
Welsh Assembly Government was
consulted and its support announced. In Scotland, where CBRN policy
had been devolved, the
Scottish Executive was actively involved
in the agency's establishment and provided £250,000 to its
formation. Initial funding from other stakeholders included
£950,000 from the agency's parent department, DEFRA, and £55,000
from the
Northern Ireland
Office.
DEFRA's contribution was part of £5.22m
transferred from the Cabinet Office
to fund the research required to set the agency up
in the first place.
GDS spent its first few months identifying where in the private
sector there lay specialist expertise and experience on which to
call in an emergency. Late in 2005, the agency held a stakeholder
event where it publicised its 'open for business' status and the
fact that it had developed a framework of suppliers of specialist
knowledge and skills.
Role
The UK Government Decontamination Service's functions revolve
around it ensuring that the country is prepared for CBRN and HAZMAT
events and is able to cope efficiently during their aftermath. They
do not take responsibility for clean-up or decontamination
themselves, rather making sure that those
with the
responsibility (local authorities, emergency services, other
government bodies) have access to the specialist knowledge, skills
and equipment they may need to carry out such work. They assess the
ability of such specialist private sector companies to carry out
decontamination operations and are also available to co-ordinate
all parties concerned in the event.
The agency regularly validate and test the contingency arrangements
which are in place with local authorities. Through this work, they
are able to act as the Government's advisor on the state of
readiness of the country to face such accidents. They also
regularly review gaps in the UK's national capability to respond to
them.
The agency exists as a central portal for local authorities and
central government, connecting those needing information with those
organisations best able to provide it. In general, advice is given
by specialist, third-party companies rather than the agency
itself.
Despite its name, the GDS is keen to point out that, while recovery
and re-occupation of buildings and environments after incidents is
part of its responsibility, the more immediate concerns of human
decontamination is the remit of the
Department of Health
and the national health services.
GDS state that one reason they have been set up is that Government
has recognised it would not be cost effective to have all local
authorities research and maintain the level of expertise required
to efficiently respond to a CBRN threat. They state this is also
the reason why the service is UK-wide, rather than having the
home countries maintain separate
services.
See also
References
External links
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