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The
Government's Response
UKAEA and BNFL have made steady progress in recent
years in managing the legacy. The Government
believes, however, that the scale and nature of the
task require a much sharper and stronger strategic
focus. The Government has therefore decided to set up
a Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) which will
be responsible for managing public sector civil
nuclear liabilities.
Statement to the House of
Commons
On 28 November 2001, the Secretary of State for Trade
and Industry made a statement to the House of Commons
about the future management of public sector civil
nuclear liabilities. She referred to those nuclear
sites currently managed by UKAEA and BNFL, including
the Magnox fleet of nuclear power stations. The
statement included a commitment to set up a new
public body, now known as the Nuclear Decommissioning
Authority (NDA).
The White Paper
The White Paper Managing the Nuclear Legacy - A
strategy for action was published on 4 July 2002.
It set out the Government's proposals in more detail
and underlined the Government's commitment to
improving the management of nuclear clean up. The
White Paper underlined that the NDA would be
responsible to Government for safe, secure,
environmentally responsible and cost effective
nuclear clean up. .
The NDA's remit
In summary, the NDA will:
- be a public body acting on behalf of
Government
- act as a strategic 'programme manager' of
these liabilities and determine arrangements
for managing sites
- work in partnership with site licensees (at
the outset UKAEA and BNFL) and the safety,
security and environmental regulators for the
most effective and safe means of discharging
the liabilities
- drive and promote competition and broaden the
market for liabilities management and nuclear
clean up in the UK
- create a framework for securing management
efficiencies
- inspire public confidence in arrangements for
managing public sector civil nuclear
liabilities.
Legislation
Implementing the new arrangements for managing the
nuclear legacy requires primary legislation. The Energy
Bill sets out the proposed functions, duties and
powers of the NDA and the funding mechanism for the
NDA in the form of a Statutory Segregated Account. It
also includes provisions for the transfer of assets
and liabilities from BNFL to the NDA and for the
future restructuring of BNFL.
The Bill is being considered first in the House of
Lords, where it received Second Reading on 11
December.
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Word document of The Government's Response
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"Nuclear clean up is one of the most
important technical and environmental
challenges facing the UK. We need to ensure
that the nuclear legacy is cleaned up in ways
which protect the environment for the benefit
of current and future generations."
Brian Wilson, Minister of State for Energy
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