Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, on how many occasions (a) enhanced monitoring and (b) emergency response arrangements were implemented at civil nuclear sites as a result of external hazards, including wildfires, flooding and extreme weather since 1 January 2020.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) independently regulates safety and security across the nuclear sector. Since 1 January 2020 ONR were notified of 12 occasions of enhanced monitoring and 3 occasions where a level of emergency response arrangements were activated by a site in response to external hazards.

Enhanced monitoring and response arrangements such as a site Operational Alert are precautionary measures and do not indicate a risk to nuclear safety or a need for emergency response action beyond the site.