§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. David Blunkett)On Tuesday 1 April, in a meeting held in Washington between myself and US Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, we reached agreement on key issues which will lead to unprecedented co-operation and sharing of intelligence between the UK and US Governments.
Our two countries have agreed to set up a Joint Contact Group of senior officials who will drive a joint programme of work, including how best to share knowledge and resources. This will make a significant, practical contribution to the fight against international terrorism, building on the excellent co-operation we already have on security and intelligence issues.
The new Joint Contact Group of senior officials will meet regularly to ensure that a joint programme of work is focused and on track. The work of the group will cover:
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- Closer working on the development of biometric technology such as iris and facial recognition.
- Pooling of knowledge and resources, such as vaccines, to counter chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
- Strategies to prevent and deal with cyber/electronic attacks.
- Joint forward planning and exercise programmes to test out different scenarios.
- Greater protection for borders through visa and passenger intelligence sharing.
- Continued prior warning of changes in alert states.
Today's agreement between Tom Ridge and myself will significantly contribute to the steps which both the US and UK Governments are taking to combat international terrorism, and will allow real, practical preparations to be made against future threats, for the benefit of our citizens.