GOVERNMENT TO SET UP NEW DECONTAMINATION SERVICE:

The Environment Minister, today announced that Government will be setting up a new central Service to help authorities and organisations prepare for and deal with the consequences of incidents where chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) materials are released into the environment.

The new Government Decontamination Service to be operational this Summer, will provide expert advice and guidance on decontaminating infrastructure, buildings and the environment after a CBRN incident.

The move announced today is part of the Government's commitment to ensuring that well-laid plans are in place to prevent and respond to a range of CBRN emergencies.

The Minister of State for the Environment, said: "As I announced in March last year, we have been considering the best way to deliver expert advice and guidance on preparing for and responding to contamination of infrastructure, buildings and the environment."

"The new Decontamination Service will have a UK-wide remit to help those responsible for clearing up after a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident, such as local authorities, to make sure they have considered and planned for decontamination. It will also ensure that if there were such an incident, authorities would be able to call upon a carefully assessed panel of specialist companies to carry out the decontamination operations."

The new service will:

• Provide advice and guidance to responsible authorities during their contingency planning for CBRN incidents, and regularly help to test the arrangements that are in place.
• Rigorously assess the ability of companies in the private sector to carry out decontamination operations, and ensure that responsible authorities have access to those services if the need arises.
• Advise central government on the national capability for the decontamination of buildings and the environment in the event of a major release of chemical, biological or radioactive materials.
• If required, the Agency will also help co-ordinate decontamination operations.

The Decontamination Service is part of the Government's commitment to building resilience to deal with the consequences of a range of emergencies and has been developed as part of the cross-government CBRN Resilience Programme, led by the Home Office.

Notes for editors:

1. The Government announced on 25 March 2004 that it was actively considering establishing a service to provide advice and assistance in decontamination and clean up after a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incident. Since then, Government has worked on the potential costs, benefits and remit of such a service.
2. The Decontamination Service will cover the whole of the UK.
3. On 25 March 2004, the Government published guidance on decontamination of the open environment. Further guidance, on the decontamination of buildings and infrastructure, was released on 14 May 2004. Today's announcement further builds on the CBRN Resilience Programme, led by the Home Office.