§ The Minister for the Environment (Mr. Elliot Morley)The strategic national guidance for the decontamination of the open environment exposed to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear substances or material has today been published on the DEFRA websitewww.defra.gov.uk and the UK resilience website www.ukresilience.info. The guidance may be downloaded from those sites and I am also placing a copy in the Library of the House.
This guidance is designed to help local authorities, and others with responsibilities for protection of the public, to develop practical strategies for cleaning up the open environment in the event of the release of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) substances or materials. It also provides an agreed set of basic recovery principles and a shared understanding of the key issues that may need to be addressed. The guidance was recently finalised and is not a response to any new or recent threat of an incident. It is sensible contingency planning and does not mean there is a further threat from CBRN terrorism. Up till now, guidance to local authorities was published in October 2001 and a revised version in August last year. Strategic national guidance on the decontamination of people was published in February 2003.
The guidance is part of a suite of CBRN documents developed under the CBRN resilience programme and led by the Home Office. It also refers to the Government's active consideration of establishment of a new service to be ready to provide advice and assistance in decontamination and clean-up after a CBRN incident. Further details will be given as soon as practicable.
This guidance will be updated periodically and updates will be available on the DEFRA and UK resilience websites. We welcome feedback on the guidance, which can be sent to cbrnenquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.