Energy Policy

Friday 2nd February 2018 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Richard Harrington)]

I hereby give notice of the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s intention to seek an advance from the Contingencies Fund in the amount of £2,275,000 for FY 2017-18 to provide financial cover to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

This cash advance from the Contingencies Fund is required in order to enable ONR to establish a new domestic civil nuclear safeguards regime ahead of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and Euratom on 29 March 2019. This is in line with the written ministerial statements made by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 14 September 2017 and 11 January 2018. The work necessary includes recruitment and training of additional safeguards officers and installation of a new safeguards IT system.

ONR has already begun some preparatory work to deliver the regime but requires this cash advance to move to its next phase of project implementation which includes financial commitments towards recruitment and asset purchases, to be able to deliver the regime ahead of day one of exit.

Parliamentary approval for additional resources of £2,275,000 for this new service will be sought in an estimate for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £2,275,000 will be met via repayable cash advances from the Contingencies Fund.

The cash advance will be repaid upon receiving Royal Assent for the Nuclear Safeguards Bill and the Supply and Appropriation Bill.

[HCWS445]