The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

16 November 2005

Sir Anthony Cleaver, Chairman of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), has offered his thanks to everyone who responded to the recent consultation into the NDA’s first ever Draft Strategy.

The three month consultation closed on the 11 November and generated over 270 detailed responses, many representing community, special interest and industry groups. In addition to using the more traditional methods of consultation such as encouraging postal responses and attending public meetings, the NDA made full use of this website.

Sir Anthony Cleaver explains:

“We are extremely encouraged by the level and depth of the debate. Over 2,500 copies of the Draft Strategy were issued and a further 3,000 downloaded from the internet. We attended over 50 public meetings and held a live web chat. Many people also chose to respond electronically.

I would like to thank everyone who responded and those who came to one of the many meetings around the country.”

“Over the next six weeks we will consider carefully everything that has been said before submitting our proposed Strategy to Ministers by the end of the year.”

Over the coming weeks the NDA intends to make available on its website details of the consultation responses received. By Spring 2006, it will also publish a document explaining how the consultation influenced its thinking together with the final Strategy once approved by Government.

There has been broad support for many of the key elements explored in the Draft Strategy.

Sir Anthony adds:

“The proposals to accelerate the decommissioning of the Magnox sites, the need for agreed waste disposal routes and the introduction of competition to drive innovation and efficiency have all met with broad support.”

“Naturally some people have reservations about the detail and we will consider fully all that they have suggested.”

“I firmly believe that when the final strategy is published it will be clear that the consultation will have had an important impact on our thinking.”

Following consideration of the consultation responses, a proposed Strategy will be submitted to Ministers in Westminster and Scotland by the end of the calendar year. The Government has until 31st March 2006 to approve the Strategy that will, for the first time, set out a detailed approach to the safe, cost-effective and environmentally sensitive clean-up and decommissioning of the UK’s twenty civil nuclear sites.