By Paul Dobson in The Ferret
An arm of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) which oversees the UK’s nuclear weapons programme has refused to release details of over 100 security incidents it logged over the last five years, prompting accusations of a “cover up”.
According to new figures – released to The Ferret after a freedom of information (FoI) request – the Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO) has recorded 113 ‘security concerns’ since 2017-18.
The DNO said these incidents may have ranged from minor breaches of security policies to the outright loss of information.
But despite claiming that many of the reported incidents would not have “significant ramifications”, the organisation refused to provide descriptions of any.
It cited national security concerns and fears about damaging the UK’s reputation internationally. The DNO is responsible for all issues related to the UK’s nuclear weapons – apart from military operations.
The DNO is based at the MoD’s headquarters in London but also has staff stationed around Britain, including at the Coulport base, on Loch Long, where the UK’s nuclear warheads are stored.