nuclear-news

Government ‘slow walking’ on delivering nuclear regulatory overhaul

Dorjee Wangmo, 30 September 2026

The Centre for British Progress has assessed progress on the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce’s recommendations, finding that only 10 of 47 have seen significant headway. This analysis highlights that government departments are falling behind on their own revised timelines, with some key clarifications on site releases and risk definitions now over 90 days late. The findings raise questions about the pace of regulatory reform intended to expedite new nuclear projects.

 The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has published a new policy
clarifying how its inspectors use Relevant Good Practice (RGP) to inform
independent regulatory judgements. The policy – ‘Using relevant good
practice in regulatory judgement’ – supports efficient regulation without
lowering the bar on safety, security or safeguards standards across the
UK’s nuclear industry. It emphasises that RGP is a regulatory concept and
not prescribed in law and explains how ONR inspectors can draw on relevant
established controls, standards and approaches when assessing whether
nuclear sector dutyholders are meeting goal-setting legal duties and
requirements. The policy responds directly to the government’s Nuclear
Regulatory Review 2025 and forms part of the wider Taskforce implementation
plan which called for a review of nuclear regulator guidance in line with
revised tolerability of risk, to support a genuinely non-prescriptive
regulatory system. It sets out sources of potential good practice that
inspectors may consider, ranging from Approved Codes of Practice and
published regulatory guidance through to wider industry and international
sources, including from sectors beyond nuclear.

 ONR 30th Sept 2026, https://www.onr.org.uk/news/all-news/2026/09/onr-unveils-new-policy-on-relevant-good-practice-to-support-more-enabling-and-proportionate-regulation

October 3, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK