 Throughout 2003 and 2004, national guidance on the decontamination of both people and the environment was published by DEFRA.In December 2003, a Government-sponsored report as to whether the UK needed a national organisation to help in the recovery phase of any accident identified that the need existed.Local authorities had already been responsible for the clean-up in the aftermath of such crises (this responsibility would be set out in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004) and would remain so.