Proposed changes in nuclear regulation
Posted: 24th November 2025
Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce publishes final report and calls for radical
reset of overly complex nuclear regulatory system. Overly complex
regulation in the UK has contributed to the “relative decline” in the
UK’s global leadership position in nuclear, according to the independent
taskforce commissioned by the government. In its final report published
today (Monday 24 November), the expert group says a “radical reset” is
needed and outlines 47 recommendations for the government to speed up
building new nuclear projects at a lower cost and on time, to unleash a
golden era of nuclear technology and innovation.
DESNZ 24th Nov 2025
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/taskforce-calls-for-radical-reset-of-nuclear-regulation-in-uk
The UK has become the “most expensive place in the world” to build nuclear
power plants, according to a government review detailing the “overly
complex” bureaucracy around the sector. The report, which was commissioned
by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, called for a “radical reset” in the
government’s nuclear strategy to make projects safer and more efficient.
Doing so could save Britain “tens of billions” in costs and reverse the
industry’s “decline” in recent years, the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce
found, external. It comes as the UK government looks to build a new
generation of nuclear plans to meet the country’s future energy needs and
net zero targets. The report found that a “fragmented” regulatory system
has resulted in a lack of industry-wide safety oversight, which has led to
“conservative and costly decisions not proportionate to the actual risk
being managed”. It described the industry as “near-monopolistic”, and said
both civil and defence programmes are prone to “large cost overruns and
schedule delays”. Nuclear plants – which generate electricity by using
atomic reactions to produce heat – are “essential to the UK’s future”, with
the country at risk of missing out on a “worldwide nuclear renaissance”.
Among its recommendations is a “one-stop” commission for nuclear decisions.
The agency should have “unified” decision-making powers. Taskforce chair
John Fingleton said: “Our solutions are radical, but necessary. By
simplifying regulation, we can maintain or enhance safety standards while
finally delivering nuclear capacity safely, quickly, and affordably.” The
government is expected to address the report’s findings later this month in
the Budget.
BBC 24th Nov 2025
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yq8jneqpdo
The UK has become the most expensive country in the world to build a
nuclear power station because of a bewildering and unnecessary array of
environmental, safety, and bureaucratic processes, according to a
government review. The Nuclear Regulatory task force, set up by Prime
Minister Sir Keir Starmer in February, delivered a scathing assessment of
the UK’s approach on Monday and set out 47 recommendations to streamline
and speed up both civil and military nuclear programmes. “What surprised
me the most was how poor business is at thinking about cost control,
standardisation and efficiency,” said John Fingleton, who leads the task
force and previously ran the Office of Fair Trading. “Everything has got
to be a bespoke solution and nobody seems to push back, they just accept
the high cost,” he added. The UK currently operates nine nuclear reactors
across four sites, providing 15 per cent of the country’s electricity,
but with all but one due to retire by 2030. Two new power stations that are
under construction, Hinkley Point C in Somerset and Sizewell C in Suffolk,
are estimated to cost as much as £48bn and £38bn respectively, in 2024
prices, while the government has provided £2.5bn for the initial
development of a small modular reactor design by Rolls-Royce in Anglesey in
north Wales.
FT 23rd Nov 2025
https://www.ft.com/content/467b8b30-6d6a-4230-8d42-12391558a617