Contents of this month’s NIS Update newsletter from Nuclear Information Service:

• AWE Aldermaston in special measures for the 5th year running
• £235m overspend highlights problems in major nuclear projects
• Blog: Financial risks on Trident successor – a Conspiracy of Concealment
• UK, US and France: ‘Ban Treaty will never apply to us’
• Doubling of nuclear transports may indicate delivery of upgraded warheads
• Nuclear convoy breakdown causes 45 minute halt on motorway
• Defence Police Federation Chief denounces ‘spine chilling’ job cuts

AWE Aldermaston in special measures for the 5th year running

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has announced in their annual report that both Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) sites continue to be subject to an enhanced level of regulatory attention. Of the eight instances of formal ONR enforcement measures that were in effect throughout the UK in 2016/17, five were directed at AWE. Read more
 

£235m overspend highlights problems in major nuclear projects

An annual government report has said a project to build new facilities to produce reactor cores for submarines is predicted to cost £235 million more than planned and that successful delivery of the project “appears to be unachievable”. For the Dreadnought and Astute submarine projects “successful delivery of the project is in doubt, with major risks or issues apparent in a number of key areas”. Read more
 

Blog: Financial risks on Trident successor – a Conspiracy of Concealment

In a guest post independent Defence Procurement Adviser Jag Patel explains how financial risks in defence procurement projects are concealed and passed onto the taxpayer by private contractors and why he believes the Dreadnought submarine programme will also be subject to delays and cost overruns. Read more

UK, US and France: ‘Ban Treaty will never apply to us’

Following the successful completion of negotiations on a nuclear ban treaty the UK, US and France released a joint statement designed to ensure that they will never be bound by the provisions of the treaty. Read more

Doubling of nuclear transports may indicate delivery of upgraded warheads

An analysis by Nukewatch finds that increased nuclear weapon convoys in 2016 were consistent with a programme to equip the newly refurbished HMS Vengeance with upgraded nuclear warheads. Read more

Nuclear convoy breakdown causes 45 minute halt on motorway

A broken-down armoured personnel carrier forced a nuclear weapons convoy to halt for 45 minutes on the hard shoulder of the M40 motorway. Read more

Defence Police Federation Chief denounces ‘spine chilling’ job cuts

The Chairman of the Defence Police Federation has said that plans for further job cuts in the Ministry of Defence Police would limit the number of officers available to respond to terrorism incidents. Read more

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