Introduction

The security of the UK has been the focus of an extraordinary level of interest since 9/11. This has given rise to new legislation, partnerships between the private and public sectors and created a plethora of initiatives, all accompanied by a vigorous public debate. However, the level of achievement is still open to debate with critics of the British response pointing to bureaucratic and organisational inertia, where policy is determined by the nature of the policy tools available not by the nature of the challenge. As Leon Fuerth, the former national security adviser to Al Gore argues:

'We have left a period when our most serious security problems were by nature ‘stove piped’, when information about these problems was linear and management was hierarchical. We have entered a period when the problems we face are themselves networked'.

Coordination between departments, agencies and with the private sector and public continues to present a number of challenges.

Articles

Read The case for a national security strategy.  (An article that appeared in Whitehall and Westminster World)

Seminars

In collaboration with the Security Institute and industry partners this seminar series will focus on five key security issues for the future.

1. The Case for a National Security Strategy 

While the British Government continues to focus on, and direct resources to counter-terrorism, the UK faces a broad spectrum of complex and interrelated threats at home and abroad; the challenges of serious and organised crime, WMD proliferation, pandemics, natural and man-made disasters, as well as failed states, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, demand an increasingly joined-up approach from the British government’s security architecture. An overall framework that places all of these initiatives in context with one another is noticeable by its absence.

Speakers

Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, Professor of War Studies and Vice Principal (Research) King's College
Leon Fuerth, former National Security Adviser to Vice President Al Gore and Research Professor of International Affairs, The George Washington University
Sir David Omand KCB, former UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator, Cabinet Office and Visiting Professor, King’s College London
Charlie Edwards, Security Programme, Demos will chair the seminar

Date: Monday 29^th January 2007

Read the report here
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2. Silent Risks­

Organised crime is big business. Criminal networks extend beyond national borders and employ increasingly sophisticated techniques. Activities range over a vast area, from drugs and organised immigration crime, through evasion of VAT and excise duties, financial and business fraud to intellectual property theft or counterfeiting. Much of the harm done by these activities remains hidden from the public eye. As a result, the scale of the threat is still not widely recognised by society. This is a growing concern as criminal networks become more fluid and flexible, and the increased availability of information technology continues to facilitate various crimes and spawn new forms of criminal.

Speakers

Detective Chief Inspector Stan Gilmour is Head of Field Intelligence at Thames Valley Police 
Tim Grant is an Assistant Director at Interpol. He is responsible for the development and implementation of organisational protocols and strategic planning/policy.
Professor Dick Hobbs is Professor of Sociology with special reference to Criminology at the London School of Economics.
Ian McCredie is a former British diplomat and is Vice President Corporate Affairs Security, Shell.

Date: Tuesday, 12th June 2007

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3. Open Secrets
The seminar aims to explore society's relationship to risk, how central government, local authorities and agencies engage and communicate with the public during crises, and what lessons can be learned from recent incidents (both from threats like terrorism and hazards such as flooding). While the Government has acknowledged the need for a method of risk communication which seeks to provide professionals with the necessary tools to manage incidents and events, more can be done to engage and communicate these issues with members of the public.

As such the UK Government's current approach to risk communication needs to be supported by a 'public centred strategy'. This is becoming increasingly important as citizens and professional's perceptions of risk are out of kilter with each other, while there remains a lack of awareness amongst the public of how to respond to large-scale emergencies. Furthermore authorities are finding their response to incidents is limited by their ability to warn both a static and transient population at anytime of day and night. The presentations and discussion afterwards will be held under the Chatham House rule.

The seminar is especially timely with the expected publication of the Government's national risk register later this summer.

Speakers

Bruce Mann, Director of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, Cabinet Office
Dr Brooke Rogers, King's Centre for Risk Management, King's College London
Chris Samuel, Chair, National Steering Committee for Warning & Informing the Public
Charlie Edwards, Security Programme, Demos will chair the seminar

Date: 4th June 2008

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Please contact Charlie Edwards (Senior Researcher & Head of the Security Programme)

This seminar series is kindly being supported by a number of organisations: