The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The MoU establishes joint strategic intent to work together to secure and maintain safe and assured delivery of the UK’s defence nuclear capability to maintain the protection of the UK.
The purpose of this MoU is to promote effective cooperation, understanding, and robust regulation while providing mutual assurance between ONR and the MOD in discharging their respective roles.
It sets out the responsibilities for nuclear, radiological and conventional health and safety in ensuring the safety of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) to deliver the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme and the Nuclear Weapon Programme.
Replacing the previous agreement from 2015, the MoU was signed by Mark Foy, ONR's Chief Nuclear Inspector and Chief Executive Officer and James Black, the MoD’s Director of Security and Safety from the Defence Nuclear Organisation.
The MoU is supported by a separate Letter of Understanding (LoU) between ONR and the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator (DNSR) - the MoD’s internal regulator.
The DNSR leads on regulating nuclear safety at non-licensed sites and the LoU provides detailed and practical working arrangements between the two regulators to ensure efficient, effective and complete regulation is delivered on all the defence related sites.