Secrecy about Trident safety problems

problems secret has been condemned as a threat to democracy, with
“devastating” accident risks. An information tribunal in London has
rejected a bid to release reports about Trident nuclear bomb and submarine
hazards on the Clyde because of fears about leaks to an increasingly
“aggressive” Russia. But the secrecy has come under fierce fire from a
former nuclear submarine commander and campaigners. They criticised the MoD
for hiding its nuclear blunders, putting people in danger, and edging the
UK towards a “closed and dictatorial state”. The Scottish National
Party attacked the MoD’s secrecy as “absolutely untenable”. The idea
that withholding information would keep the UK safe was “a very dangerous
delusion”, the party argued. The MoD, however, insisted that nuclear
information had to be protected “for reasons of national security”. The
defence nuclear programme was “fully accountable” to ministers, it
said. Annual reports by the MoD’s internal watchdog, the Defence Nuclear
Safety Regulator (DNSR), were published for ten years under freedom of
information law. But this ceased in 2017. The Ferret revealed that the
reports for 2005 to 2015 highlighted “regulatory risks” 86 times,
including 13 rated as high priority. One issue repeatedly seen as a high
risk was a growing shortage of suitably qualified and experienced nuclear
engineers.

 Ferret 4th July 2021

 https://theferret.scot/nuclear-accident-risks-under-wraps/

 The National 4th July 2021

 https://www.thenational.scot/news/19418166.finding-allowing-mod-keep-safety-risks-secret-condemned-threat-democracy/