§ 25. Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve the security of the United Kingdom from the intentional release of chemical, biological and radiological materials. [64771]
§ Mr. BlunkettI keep these matters under close review through my chairmanship of the Ministerial Committees on Terrorism and Civil Contingencies.
Our crisis management machinery is based on a proven, co-ordinated response capability involving the relevant agencies.
Following the tragic events of 11 September last year, we have accessed the threat from the use by terrorists of chemical, biological and radiological materials and reviewed our arrangements for dealing with such events. A major cross-departmental programme of work is in hand to enhance the resilience of the UK and counter the threat. Following the Budget on 17 April, I announced additional resources to enable this work to be sustained and developed. This will be further reviewed in the Spending Review.