Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce: role and membership
Published 23 April 2025
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Role of the Taskforce
The Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce will examine all aspects of the regulation of civil and defence nuclear. It will explore how the regulation of safety, environmental, planning, and other relevant areas can be improved, with the aim of supporting energy security, national security, and economic growth in the UK.
The taskforce will help reinforce the importance of our Defence Nuclear Enterprise, which supports delivery of the government’s triple-lock commitment to the UK’s nuclear deterrent. It will also explore better international alignment so reactor designs approved abroad could be green lit quicker, minimising expensive changes.
Terms of Reference
Nuclear regulation is part of a wider regulatory framework in the UK and internationally. Much work is already in hand to identify opportunities to improve the UK’s regulatory framework. The Taskforce shall build on past and current reviews (for example, the independent DEFRA Review and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Regulatory Reforms).
The Taskforce will maintain our commitment to implementing relevant international agreements and standards to enhance our understanding of how the UK compares against relevant international comparators. The Taskforce aims to provide clear, actionable recommendations.
The Taskforce will focus on the following key areas:
- the suitability of the existing regulatory framework(s)
- relevant legislation and supporting guidance
- the scope and capacity of regulatory bodies
- the expectations on regulatory outcomes
- the culture and processes within the nuclear sector
- support for innovation and the deployment of new nuclear
- international harmonisation of regulatory approaches
The Taskforce will respect the devolved nature of areas of responsibility within the nuclear landscape. The Taskforce will not make recommendations for devolved governments in devolved areas.
The Taskforce will provide an interim report following discussion with ministers. A final report will be published in Autumn 2025 and recommendations will be put to the Prime Minister, Energy Secretary, Defence Secretary and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Call for evidence
The Taskforce has launched a call for evidence to support its work which will close to responses on 19 May 2025.
List of members
John Fingleton – Taskforce Lead
John is an Irish-British economist and former CEO of the Office of Fair Trading, he was a Senior Independent Member of the Council of Innovate UK until 2024, as well as a Member of Board for UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) from 2021 to 2024. John runs a company advising and supporting clients to successful resolution of complex and novel regulatory problems. He has a profile across a wide range of business sectors and is considered an expert in business, government and regulation, with a reputation for innovative thinking.
The panel of experts will be appointed in due course.
Contact
Email contact: nuclearregulatorytaskforce@energysecurity.gov.uk