Crackdown on chemicals used to make dangerous weapons
New controls proposed for toxic substances, acting on recommendations made by the Southport Inquiry.
Chemicals that could be used to make explosives and dangerous weapons – including those found in the Southport attacker’s home – will be tightly controlled under new proposals to boost national security.
Under the proposed changes, access to natural materials needed to produce the toxic substances ricin and abrin will be heavily restricted to reduce the risk of people using them to cause harm.
During searches of the Southport attack perpetrator’s home, police found evidence that he had bought castor beans online to make ricin, leading to his conviction under the Biological Weapons Act 1974.
In response, the government is proposing to add castor beans containing ricin and rosary peas containing abrin to the list of regulated poisons under UK law. This will make it a criminal offence to sell them to members of the public who do not hold a valid licence.
This action comes as part of the government’s commitment to implement all the recommendations made in phase one of the Southport Inquiry, which recommended greater regulation was needed around the availability of castor beans.
Ricin and abrin are already strictly controlled under UK law because of their extreme toxicity, but the seeds which can be used to produce these dangerous chemicals can be purchased for use in gardening and decoration.
Security Minister, Dan Jarvis said:
Protecting the public is our first duty. While these substances can have legitimate uses, we must stop them from being weaponised by those who want to cause harm.
We will close the gaps exposed by the Southport attack and tighten the law to stop these dangerous chemicals falling into the wrong hands.
As part of the move, the government is also seeking to make it harder for people to access other dangerous poisons and chemicals which can be used to make explosives and pose risks to national security.
This would mean that it would be much harder for people to access these substances without having a licence and require shops and businesses to report any suspicious transactions.
The proposed changes come under the Poisons Act 1972, which controls poisons and explosives precursors, restricting the general public’s access to the most dangerous materials.
In certain circumstances, people can apply for a licence to buy and use a regulated substance if they have a genuine need for it and there is no safer alternative.
The changes will be subject to a consultation which was launched yesterday. It seeks views from the public, industry and business to gauge how these changes would affect them.