ONR's new role comes at crucial time for UK industry
December saw a key milestone for the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) with the publication of its first strategy as a statutory public corporation, writes Nick Baldwin, the ONR Chair.
ONR's establishment as a public corporation came at a critical time for the nuclear industry and nuclear regulation in the UK. With the challenges ahead including hazard remediation at Sellafield and the growing new build programme, regulation has never been more important.
Nuclear regulation in the UK has a long history, with the UK regulator taking several previous forms as part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and building a well-deserved reputation as a world-class regulator. However, the Government's ambition to make the UK a world leader in the safe, efficient use of nuclear energy created new pressures and expectations. The UK needed a regulator that could be more responsive to the demands of the new build agenda, the existing operational nuclear fleet, and the decommissioning of legacy nuclear facilities.
"Being independent does not mean being isolated"
Nick Bladwin
Chair, Office for Nuclear Regulation
So work began in 2009 on the legislation needed to create a new, sector-specific nuclear regulator, culminating in the Energy Act 2013. I’m sure all those involved in this work will acknowledge that this was a long and challenging process, but it was important that the legislation was right, and the time was put to good use in laying the foundations for the new body. In 2011, ONR formed as an agency of HSE, and at the same time, an interim Board was appointed (with me at the helm) and work began on putting in place the necessary organisational and other structures, so we could hit the ground running. This included bringing together the UK safeguards office, civil nuclear security and transport of radioactive materials into one organisation. I was delighted to be appointed by the Government as the first chair of the statutory ONR for a five-year period from its launch as a public corporation on 1 April 2014.
We anticipate that the nuclear industry will be a growth area for years to come, and the same goes for regulation and the job that we have to do. Regulatory demand is significant; it is increasing, enduring and long term and ONR is ready for these challenges. Our mission 'to provide efficient and effective regulation of the nuclear industry, holding it to account on behalf of the public' sets out very clearly and succinctly what we are here to do. Our new statutory corporation status means we have greater freedom and flexibility to deliver this mission, while retaining the authority that comes with being the government regulator. This authority is further enhanced by the role of the Chief Nuclear Inspector being enshrined in law for the first time ever.
Being independent does not mean being isolated. We have to be accountable for our decisions as they have the potential to affect society. Building on our commitment to openness and transparency, we must provide evidence to support our decisions in order to secure public trust in what we say, which is why we publish all of our decision and inspection reports on our public website, and attend regular meetings with stakeholders at each nuclear site. We aim to positively influence those we regulate and share good practice in the UK and internationally, to encourage the achievement of sustained excellence in safety and security performance across the industry.
To deliver our work would not be possible without a highly committed and expert workforce. We recognise that ONR's greatest strength lies in its people, a view that has been reinforced by the International Atomic Energy Agency in peer review missions. We have already used our increased freedoms and flexibilities to use innovative ways to recruit new staff, including sponsoring undergraduate recruitment, to bring new skills and a fresh perspective into the organisation, which will complement our commitment to develop our existing highly skilled and experienced inspectors and support staff. We will look for further innovative ways to deliver our business, ensuring that we maintain the high standards of propriety and value for money that the UK public has the right to expect.
The publication of the ONR Strategy 2015-2000 has allowed us to make public our vision for the next five years of being: 'An exemplary regulator that inspires respect, trust and confidence'. The Strategy sets out our three strategic themes for delivering this vision. These are: influencing improvements in nuclear safety and security; achievement of our vision through our people; and inspiring a climate of stakeholder respect, trust and confidence.
These themes will, in turn, help us to deliver effectively the UK's nuclear priorities, which are: hazard reduction and remediation at Sellafield; the nuclear new build programme, involving the assessment of generic safety cases for potential new reactor designs and the site specific safety cases for the licensing, construction, operation and decommissioning of new nuclear power stations; and regulation of the safety and security of the existing fleet of operating reactors, waste management and decommissioning, the nuclear defence platform and radioactive materials transport.
Our annual plan will be published in the spring and will put the flesh on the bones of the strategy, by setting out the resources and activities that will deliver our priorities in the year ahead. And our annual report and accounts, to be published in the summer, will show the progress we have made so far in our first year as a public corporation. I welcome the increased transparency and scrutiny that these documents offer, and expect our stakeholders to use them to hold us to account.
*The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is a statutory body established under Section 77 of the Energy Act 2013. It is responsible for regulation of nuclear safety and security across the UK and holds the nuclear industry to account on behalf of the public. The majority of ONR's board is appointed by the public sector, and ONR's main source of income is licensing fees from the nuclear industry; these are considered as sales for the purpose of the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA 10) market test. As a public, market body, ONR is classified as a public non-financial corporation from the date of its establishment.
Nick Baldwin
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Prior to taking up the role of Interim Chair of ONR (2011 - 2014), Nick Baldwin was a non-executive director of Scottish and Southern Energy and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. On 1 April 2014, ONR vested as a Public Corporation and Nick was appointed as its Chair for five years.
