GREATER CLARITY NEEDED IN REGULATION - SAY NUCLEAR EXPERTS

HSC press release C015:03 - 9 May 2003

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has today published a report calling for greater clarity in nuclear regulation. The report, 'Review of the Regulation of Nuclear Safety and the Management of Radioactive Materials and Radioactive Waste within the United Kingdom: Structures and Principles of the Regulation of Civil Nuclear Licensed Sites' has been produced jointly by the Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee (NuSAC) and the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee (RWMAC).

The two committees agreed to undertake the study early in 2001 and set up a joint steering group for the work. The report sets out, for both nuclear safety and for the management of radioactive materials and radioactive wastes, the legislative bases of regulation, the principles upon which regulation is founded and current regulatory policy and practice.

The report compares the present regulatory arrangements with what the two committees regard as 'ideal' regulatory arrangements, drawing out those aspects that fall short of the 'ideal'. The committees have recommended to Government steps that could be taken to introduce greater clarity to the regulatory arrangements and remove the potential for conflict between the requirements of the different regulatory bodies.

Professor John Knott, Deputy Chair of NuSAC, said:

"Regulation for nuclear safety and that for environmental protection have much in common, notably safeguarding the public. But for various reasons, including the way they have had to evolve separately, the underlying principles that apply are different. This can lead to lack of clarity and potential conflict. We believe it is possible to close the gap and improve the consistency of regulation".

Notes for Editors

1. NuSAC advises HSC and, when appropriate, Secretaries of State, on major issues affecting the safety of nuclear installations including design, siting, operation, maintenance and decommissioning which are referred to it or which it considers require attention. It also advises HSC on the adequacy and balance of the nuclear safety research programme that the Commission coordinates. Professor John Head CBE is NuSAC's Chairman.

2. RWMAC is an independent expert body established to advise the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations for Scotland and Wales on policy and practices for the management of civil radioactive waste. Professor Charles Curtis OBE is RWMAC's Chairman.

3. The regulators are: for nuclear safety - HSC's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate; and for management of radioactive materials and wastes - the Environment Agency for England and Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Review of the Regulation of Nuclear Safety and the Management of Radioactive Materials and Radioactive Waste within the United Kingdom: Structures and Principles of the Regulation of Civil Nuclear Licensed Sites, is available free from the NuSAC Secretariat, 5th Floor, North Wing, Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HS.

Press enquiries

All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office