Sellafield: Chair comments on progress of work to reduce risk

• Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: progress with reducing risk at Sellafield (External link)
• Public Accounts Committee

The Committee Chair, Meg Hillier MP, comments:

"Nuclear decommissioning is a multi-billion pound programme and a small delay or poor planning can lead to billions of pounds being wasted at a time when other parts of the public sector are severely squeezed.

Just because nuclear decommissioning is complex does not mean that the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority should be let off the hook in seeking value for money for taxpayers.

The National Audit Office highlights some welcome progress but also areas where the NDA needs to up its game.

The new management arrangements were meant to improve matters but if this and the fallout from the recent Magnox failure are slowing down decision-making and sapping staff morale, the NDA needs to sharpen up its act.

Government also needs to be better at challenging the NDA on its performance at Sellafield."

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