Source · Select Committees · Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Recommendation 57
57
Accepted
Paragraph: 280
Require Government and Parliament to maintain close review of NDA performance and relationships.
Conclusion
Decades of mismanagement of nuclear decommissioning in the UK—from inadequate provision for decommissioning costs, to record keeping so negligent as to have left ponds of radioactive waste whose content in unknown—has made the responsibilities of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) some of the most challenging, complex and consequential of any organisation in Britain today. The 108 Delivering nuclear power NDA has made progress in the last five years in simplifying its structure, making more credible estimates of the costs of decommissioning, and replacing complex and opaque subcontractor arrangements with more straightforward ones. The vast annual budget for the NDA—necessarily between £3.5 billion and £4 billion—and the critical importance of its work means that the performance of the NDA must be kept under close review by the Government and Parliament, and that it should have a strong relationship with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Treasury and the Prime Minister’s office.
Government Response Summary
The government stated that the NDA already maintains strong relationships and regular interactions with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Treasury, and Ministry of Defence, including engagement on strategy and investment decisions.
Paragraph Reference:
280
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The NDA have strong relationships with DESNZ but also with other Government Departments including the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence. This includes regular interactions with ministers and senior officials as well close engagement on both overarching strategy and investment decisions.