Catalogue description Records of the Food and Environment Research Agency

Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera)

The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) was established in April 2009 as an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, following the merger of the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate, the Plant Variety Rights Office and Seeds Division, and the Central Science Laboratory.

Fera was established to support and develop a sustainable food chain, a healthy natural environment, and to protect the global community from biological and chemical risks. Its role within that is to provide robust evidence, rigorous analysis and professional advice to government, international organisations and the private sector.

Fera has statutory responsibilities for delivering policy and inspectorate functions in relation to plant health, bee health and plant varieties and seeds. Fera is part of the UK capability to respond to, and recover from, emergency situations, including accidental or deliberate release of hazardous materials and since 2009 has included the Government Decontamination Service (GDS).

Government Decontamination Service (GDS)

The Government Decontamination Service (GDS) was established on 1 October 2005 as an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and since 1 April 2009 has been a constituent part of the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera).

The GDS is responsible for decontamination of buildings, infrastructure, transport assets and the open environment following a Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) incident, or from major accidental (as opposed to deliberate) releases of hazardous materials (HazMat).

The GDS is a key element of the government’s machinery that will help the country prepare for, and recover from, a CBRN or significant HazMat incident, and minimise its impact on people, society, the economy and the environment. The GDS works with a cross section of government departments and devolved administrations to provide advice and guidance on contingency planning.