In April 2006, at the invitation of the UK government, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted a reduced scope modular IRRS mission to HSE. The main objective of this mission was to review HSE/ND’s readiness to regulate a new generation of nuclear power stations. The IAEA’s final report of the mission outcome was used to help inform the government’s review of energy policy. The IAEA report gives a balanced picture, noting a mature and transparent regulatory system and advanced review process, backed up by highly trained, expert and experienced nuclear inspectors.
The IAEA has completed its second IRRS mission to the UK. During the mission the IRRS team reviewed HSE/ND progress since the first IRRS mission and recent regulatory developments, the regulation of operating power plants and fuel cycle facilities, the inspection and enforcement programme for nuclear power plants and fuel cycle facilities, and the emergency preparedness and response arrangements. Some of the IRRS review team visited the Sellafield Site in Cumbria, the Heysham 1 Nuclear Power Plant near Lancaster and the Strategic Control Centre at Hutton and met senior managers from HSE and a UK Government senior advisor.
In light of the UK Government's decision to move ND to be a more autonomous body called a Statutory Corporation, the IRRS team members also conducted a review of the transition arrangements put in place by HSE/ND.
The IAEA commended some of HSE/NDs practices and identified further areas where they feel ND can improve its regulatory effectiveness. The reviewers also closed out many of the findings from the 2006 IRRS mission. In addition they provided HSE/ND with some areas to consider as it makes the transition to a Statutory Corporation. Once the IAEA's report is finalised it will be available on this site, this is likely to be towards the end of 2009.
On 13 October the IAEA released a press release on the IRRS mission.
The IAEA IRRS review programme assists Member States to enhance the organisation and performance of their nuclear regulatory body. IRRS is a peer review service conducted by a team of international experts with direct experience in the areas of evaluation. They focus on several topics to assess the regulatory body's effectiveness and are not an inspection to determine compliance with national legislation, rather an objective review of nuclear regulatory practices with respect to international guidelines.