Government launches counter terrorism science and technology strategy

Experts from industry and academia are being invited to provide groundbreaking innovations to help combat the threat of terrorism as part of the government’s Science and Technology Counter Terrorism Strategy launched today.

Scientists are being asked to come forward with state-of-the-art ideas that could be used to identify new threats and develop ways to counter the challenges we face from international terrorism.

The three-year Science and Technology Counter Terrorism Strategy published today aims to:

* Understand future threats and opportunities;

* Develop effective solutions; and

* Work with our international partners on counter terrorism-related science and technology

Alongside the strategy, a brochure has been produced for science and technology experts, to put them in touch with key contacts.

Science and technology play a key part in counter-terrorism, enhancing our ability to pursue terrorists, prevent radicalisation, protect essential services and infrastructure and prepare for a terrorist attack.

The government’s counter terrorism strategy (CONTEST) has identified that terrorists will continue to exploit modern technology, not only to plan and conduct attacks, but also to disseminate propaganda and recruit people to their cause. The report published today sets out what the government is already doing to counter terrorism through science and technology.

The strategy and accompanying brochure set out key challenges and invite commercial experts to get in touch to see if they can work towards meeting the operational needs of the wider counter-terrorism community as well as our traditional partners such as the police, military and security services.

Security Minister Lord West said:

“The UK currently faces a real and serious threat from terrorism and we need to utilise our position as a world leader in science and technology to counter this.

“We need to match products and ideas to problems, which is why we are actively inviting people to join us and share expertise.

“The UK is a leading innovator in the design and provision of defence and security solutions. British technology can have greater practical applications across the world and is just one more tool in our fight against those who would wish to do us harm.”

(Home Office) Government announces £5m extra funding to protect crowded places from terrorist attacks

An extra £5million to protect the public from the threat of terrorist attacks in crowded places was announced by Security Minister Lord West today.

The funding comes as a public consultation is published on how local authorities, businesses, the police and communities can work together to better secure the places where we live, work and play.

New guidance will help local partners understand their roles and the practical difference they can make to reduce the vulnerability of public areas like pubs, clubs, shopping centres, sports stadia and schools.

They will be able to prioritise their work based on advice from police Counter Terrorism Security Advisers (CTSAs) who for the first time are carrying out a standardised risk assessment of crowded places across the country.

Lord West said:

"There is no greater priority for the Government than the safety and security of the public, and all parts of society have important contributions to make.

"The review that I conducted into crowded places showed that a substantial amount of work has been undertaken to increase levels of protective security in our crowded places. But we need to do more to turn available advice into proportionate action on the ground.

"This is not a job for the Government or police alone. We will achieve this by better engaging local authorities, local partners and in particular businesses to encourage them to implement counter-terrorist security advice. That is the purpose of our consultation document 'Working Together to Protect Crowded Places'. We are also launching today practical advice to those involved in planning and building our crowded places on how to design out vulnerabilities to terrorism." Lord West launched the crowded places consultation documents at a regional event in Birmingham to lay out details of the Government's revised counter terrorism strategy - 'CONTEST'.

The strategy - published on March 24 - builds on the successes of the existing policy and provides the basis for a coordinated approach to counter terrorism. It sets out principles which provide the basis for the Government's response to terrorism.

(MPA) Statement: chair of MPA Boris Johnson

"It is with deep regret that that at 7.30 am this morning I accepted the resignation of AC Bob Quick. Bob understands fully that the security breach which occurred yesterday was a serious issue for which he has taken personal responsibility. Bob has had a long and distinguished career and has made a huge contribution to British policing, particularly in the last year developing the national counter terrorism capability."

(Home Office) Launch of government's new counter terrorism strategy

A new strategy for countering international terrorism was announced by the Home Secretary today.

The Government's "CONTEST" strategy builds on the successes of the existing policy and provides the basis for a coordinated approach to counter terrorism.

For the first time, the Government sets out a full and as open an account as possible. The strategy provides a detailed account of the history of the terrorist threat to the UK and UK interests and the underlying factors which have led to the emergence of the terrorist threat we face today. It indicates how the threat may evolve in the next few years.

The strategy then sets out principles which provide the basis for the Government's response. They include a determination to place human rights and core values at the heart of all the Government's counter terrorist work in this country and overseas. The strategy also emphasises the need to address the longer term causes of terrorism as well as its immediate symptoms.

The new strategy retains the framework of the old - four main areas of work entitled Pursue, Prevent, Protect and Prepare. But each of these areas has been updated and the document provides much more detail about specific objectives and programmes.

The strategy sets out comprehensive programmes of action here and overseas including:

* A Pursue strategy which makes use of new resources, which the Government has made available to the agencies, police and the counter terrorism network, to investigate and disrupt terrorist networks here and overseas and to prosecute those responsible.

* A Prevent strategy rolled out since last year that reaches more people - nationally, internationally and locally - than ever before, with clear objectives (reflecting our better understanding of the causes of radicalisation), supporting programmes, dedicated staff and funding.

* A Protect strategy which will further strengthen our borders, consolidate work on our critical national infrastructure and improve the protection of the crowded places where we work, live and play. We will continue to provide security advice to sports venues and shopping centres and expanded protective programmes for air, sea and rail transport security.

* A Prepare strategy that will enable us to respond effectively to new types of threat and to recover from any terrorist attack faster than ever before, making use of the resilience network developed in this country in the past few years.

The strategy also includes a number of cross-cutting initiatives, new work to counter the threat of terrorist attack using chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive devices (CBRNE).

The revised strategy contains separate entries covering specific subjects of interest. They include terrorist finance, conflict reduction, cross-Government work in Afghanistan/Pakistan, work on connection with terrorism and the internet and counter terrorism related communications.

The strategy describes in some detail how CONTEST is delivered, taking into account the greater resources and the wider range of people working in counter terrorism. It sets out the roles for the many Government departments now engaged in this area and for local and regional government. It identifies future scientific and technical priorities and sets out the basis for closer work with the private sector. It explains the cross-cutting roles of the police and armed forces.

The document outlines an international response to the threat, describing in each area the international work the Government will be undertaking to support domestic programmes.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said:

"Protecting the public is my key objective and the aim of the Government's new counter terrorism strategy is to reduce the risk of terrorism to allow people to go about their lives freely and with confidence.

"The UK has one of the most comprehensive and wide ranging approaches to tackling terrorism in the world and we have updated our CONTEST strategy to take account of the evolving threat, the lessons we have learned and the new challenges we face."