Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the ability of the Office for Nuclear Regulation to take over the (a) inspection and (b) oversight of responsibilities from Euratom on (i) 30 March 2019 and (b) 1 January 2021.

We continue to work closely with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) as they take on the role and responsibilities required to enable the UK’s domestic nuclear safeguards regime to meet international nuclear safeguards and nuclear non-proliferation obligations when Euratom safeguards arrangements no longer apply in the UK.

Based on current progress, the ONR will be in a position to deliver a regime that will discharge the commitments set out in the UK’s new safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency by 29 March 2019.

The ONR will move to deliver Euratom equivalence as soon as possible. The speed with which the ONR is able to apply a system offering equivalent effectiveness and coverage as that provided by the Euratom regime is dependent on a wide variety of factors. These factors include negotiations on future cooperation with Euratom and technical discussions between Euratom and the ONR.