A significant reorganisation at the government's premier defence science facility, Porton Down, has severely undermined staff morale and disrupted work on projects vital to UK national security, a senior insider has revealed.
A State of 'Paralysing Limbo' at DSTL
The whistleblower, speaking to the Guardian, warned that the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) has been left in a state of 'paralysing limbo' due to the ongoing changes. They raised concerns that a programme to 'delete' hundreds of jobs and force staff to reapply for their positions has damaged productivity and scientific output, potentially jeopardising safety.
DSTL, an arm's-length body of the Ministry of Defence with roughly 4,800 staff, is responsible for cutting-edge science supporting the military and national security. Its work has been crucial in responding to major incidents, including the 2018 Salisbury novichok poisoning and the national effort to counter the Covid-19 pandemic.
Plummeting Morale and Safety Concerns
The whistleblower's claims are supported by internal data and trade union sources. DSTL's most recent staff survey showed its 'engagement index' had hit a historic low of 43%, starkly lower than the 64% average across the civil service. Furthermore, a safety survey placed DSTL in the bottom 1% of benchmarked organisations for staff feeling they had the 'resources to work safely'.
'They are treating us like a bunch of replaceable people in grey suits when we are a diverse team of world-leading science experts passionate about keeping our country safe,' the whistleblower stated. 'The losses will take a decade to recover from.'
They added that the organisation had been distracted by internal restructuring for over nine months, hampering scientific work. 'Everyone is distracted at a top level by the changes... That has led to people becoming dissatisfied and leaving. Many people who aren't leaving are demotivated.'
MoD Response and Wider Defence Reform
The Ministry of Defence did not dispute that morale had been affected but stressed there had been no redundancies as a result of the job deletions. A spokesperson said DSTL, now part of the National Armaments Director group, was on track to meet key requirements, citing recent successes like the DragonFire laser trial.
The shake-up is part of the government's wider defence reform, described as the biggest in 50 years. While government sources acknowledged an aim to improve safety, they argued DSTL already had a strong safety record with a low accident rate and disputed that capabilities had been degraded.
However, the senior insider warned that the focus on restructuring, driven by chief executive Paul Hollinshead, had caused significant disruption. 'We have been unable to do real science at times,' they said, emphasising that the organisation had lost its priority on the science and technology needed to protect the nation.
