Nuclear war? No idea!

Sunday 30 October 2016

A bizarre Freedom of Information request has revealed that Jersey’s plans in the event of a nuclear attack are……nothing.

That’s right. There is no advice, not even to mimic the infamous words of Dad’s Army’s Corporal Jones… “Don’t panic….don’t panic.”

The FOI request asked whether “In the event of a nuclear attack against France or the United Kingdom, what contingencies does Jersey have as far as communicating to the population what will happen and where they should go?”

It also asked whether there are any plans for providing adequate shelter, food and water and medical care. 

The reply was unequivocal, there are no plans. 

The FOI reply reads: “There States of Jersey does not hold a specific plan dealing with nuclear attack, therefore answers cannot be given.”

A previous similar FOI request last year yielded a more detailed reply: “Thank you for your enquiry regarded the States of Jersey preparedness for possible nuclear attack. 

“Risks can be identified by any stakeholder and are rated comparing likelihood versus impact. 

“You will note that nuclear attack does not feature on the register as, currently, the likelihood is considered below that required for rating despite the fact that the impact would be very high. 

“For a States multi-agency plan to be discussed against a specified risk, the risk would normally have to feature in the high ‘orange’ or ‘red’ category.

“Due to this, the States does not hold a specific plan dealing with a nuclear attack.”

The reply goes on to say that the States of Jersey Emergency Planning Officer will maintain a “watching brief” on events. 

It reads: “Island preparedness, safety and resilience are discussed biannually at the political level by the Emergencies Council, chaired by the Chief Minister.  

“This sets political priorities for the executive body, known as the Emergency Planning Board, which meets three times a year and is chaired by the Chief Executive. 

“Both of these working groups receive the latest security and threat assessments from the States of Jersey police, additionally part of the remit of the States of Jersey Emergency Planning Officer is to maintain a ‘watching brief’ on local and global events that may impact on the safety of the Island. 

“A working group known as the Joint Emergencies Services Group, consisting of the emergency service's Chief Officers, hospital and emergency planning regularly meet and can elevate potential issues and suggest strategic action directly to Chief Minister and Chief Executive.

“The States of Jersey does not have a specific ‘war book’ detailing the issues to be considered in the aftermath of a nuclear exchange.”