Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he expects the establishment of a domestic civil nuclear safeguards regime on leaving Euratom to involve an increase in charges by the Office for Nuclear Regulation to the industry.

In establishing a domestic civil nuclear safeguards regime, there are two associated costs: the cost of establishing the new regime and the cost of its operation by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). As set out in answers to questions UIN 108904 and 109996, the Department will allocate to the ONR the funding necessary to set up the regime.

In regards to the operation of this new regime, no decision has yet been made on whether it will be appropriate, at some point, to put in place charging arrangements similar to those that exist for regulatory work carried out by the Office for Nuclear Regulation on safety and security. Any such decision will be informed by consultation, including with industry, on the secondary legislation that we propose to make using the powers in the Nuclear Safeguards Bill.