Background:
In Scotland the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) governs the responses of local authorities (and other “Category 1 Responders) to any threat to public safety. The Act requires Category 1 Responders to conduct a risk assessment of potential threats and to keep the public informed. Nuclear weapon convoys represent a serious threat because they carry high explosive together with nuclear materials, including plutonium and uranium.
The 2016 survey of councils through which nuclear warheads are transported shows that none of them conduct risk assessments specifically in respect of nuclear weapon convoys when travelling on their roads. Some councils claim to rely on generic assessments on a range of threats conducted by their local Resilience Partnership. None of the surveyed councils informs their public about the nuclear warhead traffic.
Below is a suggestion for what you might write to your local council. This is a one-size-fits-all letter which you might customise according to how your council answered the survey questions (see the Appendix to “Unready Scotland” ) and also on the nature of your own area of residence but this text should cover all cases.
Letters might best be sent to the Council Leader, the Chief Executive and the Emergency Planning Adviser.
(The Council Leader and Chief Exec of each Scottish council on a convoy route has been sent a copy of UNREADY SCOTLAND by us)
Model Letter
Dear
You may be aware that Nukewatch has published a report called “Unready Scotland” about the transport of nuclear weapons on public roads.
https://www.nukewatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/UnreadyScotland-Report.pdf
I note that nuclear weapon convoys travel through the XXXX Council area and I am very concerned at the statement in the report that XXXX Council has not carried out a specific risk assessment of the threat this traffic poses, nor has it taken any steps to inform its public of this threat to public safety. You will be aware that the the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) requires local authorities to do both these things in relation to a perceived threat.
I fully understand that the immediate safety and security of the nuclear warheads is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence but I also know that the civil authorities have a vital role in dealing with the wider effects of any serious incident or accident involving the convoys. “Unready Scotland” raises serious doubts about the ability of the civil authorities, including local councils, to respond effectively.
Does XXXX Council intend to conduct a review of its emergency policies and procedures in the light of “Unready Scotland”?
Yours sincerely
Download the text of this letter here
