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CAUTIOUS WELCOME FOR SCOTGOV PROMISE TO REVIEW SCOTTISH READINESS TO RESPOND TO NUCLEAR WEAPON CONVOYS EMERGENCIES
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- Published on Tuesday, 29 May 2018 08:54
NUCLEAR WEAPON CONVOYS: CAUTIOUS WELCOME FOR SCOTGOV PROMISE TO REVIEW SCOTTISH READINESS TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES
Scottish CND has today given a cautious welcome to the promise given by the Scottish government to the resilience work of Police Scotland and the SFRS in the light of concerns about the readiness of the civil authorities in Scotland to respond effectively to any serious incident involving the road convoys which transport nuclear warheads to and from Burghfield and Coulport.
The concerns about public safety were highlighted in the 2016 Nukewatch Report “Unready Scotland”(http://www.nukewatch.org.uk/?p=683), based on a survey of affected local councils by Mark Ruskell MSP which revealed a serious failure on their part to comply with their duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004
The promise came first from Minister for Community Affairs Annabelle Ewing at the close of a debate on the issue in the Scottish Parliament earlier this month and has been confirmed by Deputy First Minister John Swinney in his reply to SCND's recent letter, which had asked that the government accede to the Nukewatch request for a review.
SCND Chair Arthur West said:
“ We are pleased that the Scottish Government has decided to conduct a review - this is a significant step forward. Our caution is prompted by two considerations.
Trident - The Black Hole
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- Published on Tuesday, 22 May 2018 08:54
We've long argued that Trident renewal programme is in a state of chaos with the MOD significantly downplaying the true cost and time needed to finalise it. It comes as no surprise the news that they are finding themselves in trouble again. Trident is a Black Hole swallowing much needed resources!
Britain’s nuclear submarine programme faces a potential £6bn funding gap over the next 10 years, with serious questions over whether the project can be delivered on time.
A hard-hitting assessment by spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNS) - which covers all the Navy’s submarines, their weapons, powerplants, as well as support and design work - highlights a series of risks to the programme.
While this has just become news, Scottish CND published a report in March 2016 "The Trident Shambles" which highlighted the exact problems.Trident renewal programe is badly managed with costs jumping up, missed deadlines and staff shortages.
Here are some links to articles covering this: The National, The Telegraph, Forces.net
Statement from Scottish CND on UDT Conference
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- Published on Wednesday, 09 May 2018 14:12
The Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) event will take place at the Scottish Event Centre in Glasgow between 26th and 28th June 2018. Glasgow Life are a charity that organises cultural events on behalf of Glasgow City Council and are actively campaigning for this arms trade event to be held in the city. Scottish CND is disappointed in Glasgow City Council for supporting the conference, Arthur West (chair) continues:
"It is even more troubling that some of the companies who are supporting this event may have links with the Trident nuclear weapons replacement programme. This replacement project is opposed by a clear majority of Scotland's politicians and the Scottish public.”
It is believed that this event is run by Clarion Events who arrange a huge Arms Fair in London every two years and this in itself should raise alarm bells about the nature of this event. “A public body should not be endorsing events that promote nuclear weapons and war and Glasgow Life have some questions to answer as to why they think it is reasonable to help house this type of unsavoury event in Scotland’s largest city.
Scottish CND Dismayed and Disgusted as Trump Withdraws from Iran Nuclear Deal
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- Published on Wednesday, 09 May 2018 11:21
Chair Arthur West has expressed Scottish CND's disgust at the recent announcement by US president Donald Trump that he intends to withdraw from the Iran Nuclear Deal.
"This deal has achieved its main aim which is stopping Iran from having nuclear weapons. It is very troubling that the US president has decided to move away from a deal which makes a positive contribution towards a more peaceful world."
Arthur concluded by noting that International Atomic Energy Agency which has inspection powers to keep a heck on how Iran is complying with the deal has expressed concern about the US president moving away from the deal.
"There is clearly substantial opposition to this latest ill advised and wrong headed move by the Trump administration. The International Atomic Energy Agency, Tom Tugendhat MP - the chair of all party foreign affairs committee at Westminster and Dr Patricia Lewis of the respected Chatham House research organisation has all indicated reservations about this move by the Trump administration.
Report from Members Debate in Holyrood – 2 May 2018, Civil Contingency in Nuclear Weapon Transport
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- Published on Thursday, 03 May 2018 14:02
For over an hour the Scottish Parliament discussed nuclear weapons convoys in a debate raised by
Mark Ruskell MSP from the Scottish Greens. It was a members debate which comes after decision
time so most members leave then but 22 stayed to listen and contribute.
Mark Ruskell introduced the motion and thanked David Mackenzie and Jane Tallents for the Unready
Scotland report and paid tribute to the work of the Nukewatch network. He explained why the
hazards of nuclear weapons transport are so unique and the results of a survey of Scottish Local
Authorities by him which showed that none of them had conducted risk assessments or informed
the public. He said that the current devolution settlement laid responsibility for community safety
with the Scottish Government under the Civil Contingencies Act 2014 and called for them to hold a
review of civil authorities plans for a convoy accident.
Bill Kidd (SNP) said no one should be ignorant of what these convoys carry and called for the
minister to consider setting up a group to conduct a review.
Civil Contingency in Nuclear Weapon Transport to be debated in the Scottish Parliament
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- Published on Wednesday, 25 April 2018 09:43
In Scotland last year, following a careful examination of the local authorities readiness (or not as the case is) to deal with any emergency arising from the regular convoys that take the Uk's nuclear warheads up and down the country on the back of lorries, campaign group Nukewatch worked with Green MSP Mark Ruskell to compile a meticulous report, Unready Scotland, to expose this gap in the Scottish Government's duty of care.
It has now been taken up by our parliamentary all party group on nuclear disarmament and will be debated in our Scottish Parliament.
They are asking the Scottish Government to examine the risk assessment and public information in place, and to highlight any shortcomings to the UK Government.
A detail perhaps, and a small action, but it could be a concrete measure that the Scottish Government would be allowed to take. and I hope you might take the opportunity to send messages of encouragement to our First Minister in the hope that the Scottish Government will agree to take the steps suggested in this parliamentary motion.
Motion S5M-11539: Mark Ruskell, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party, Date Lodged: 09/04/2018
Civil Contingency in Nuclear Weapon Transport
That the Parliament understands that the Ministry of Defence regularly transports nuclear weapons on public roads in convoys that pass through or close to communities in the Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Stirling, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire and West Lothian local authority areas; believes that there is an inherent risk in transporting high explosives and radioactive material together on public roads; understands that information on what to do in an emergency involving a nuclear reactor is regularly circulated to residents close to the Coulport and Faslane bases but that no equivalent information relating to an incident involving nuclear weapons is available to communities along the regular convoy route; believes that although defence is a reserved matter, it would be for the civil authorities such as police, fire and rescue and local authorities to attempt to respond to any emergency as so-called category 1 responders, and notes the view that these civil authorities must have sufficient assessments and plans in place to respond.
Supported by: John Mason, Bill Kidd, Patrick Harvie, Sandra White, Alison Johnstone, John Finnie, Ross Greer, Richard Lyle, Jenny Gilruth, Bob Doris, Kenneth Gibson, Claudia Beamish, Ruth Maguire, Tom Arthur
Current Status: Achieved Cross Party Support
Contact Your MP to Support the NPT
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- Published on Thursday, 19 April 2018 15:27
Talks begin in Geneva on Monday 23rd April 2018 which focus on the future of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). 2018 is the 50th anniversary of this treaty - which was a milestone in international attempts to rid the world of nuclear weapons. You can find your MP's contact details here.
Scottish CND understand how important these talks are in Geneva are to the future of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and ask all members and supports to contact their MP over the next few days. This could be by email, text, telephone or even Twitter, ask them to support and put their name to Early Day Motion 1122.
You can find your MP's contact details here.
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