Commentary on Sections Part 3: Nuclear Regulation Chapter 1: The ONR’s purposes Section 73: Transport purposes
365.The ONR’s transport purposes are to ensure that the civil transport of radioactive material in Great Britain by road, rail and inland waterway is carried out securely and in a manner that protects against the risks associated with such transport (see subsection (1)). The section defines “radioactive material” by reference to various international transport agreements that cover the transport of goods by road, rail and inland waterway, and being consistent with those agreements ensures that all preparatory processes to transport (such as loading, packaging and delivery) are part of the ONR’s remit (see subsection (2)(b) and (c) respectively). However, the agreements upon which the meanings of ‘radioactive material’ are based - ADR/RID/ADN - might fall away in future or become obsolete if new international agreements come into force, and so the definition is supported by a power for the Secretary of State to amend the definition by regulations (see subsection (4)).
366.The ONR’s transport purposes do not extend to transport by sea and air as the transport of radioactive goods by these means is covered by separate regulatory regimes. However, the ONR’s nuclear security purposes (as set out in section 70) do extend to ensuring the security of nuclear material that is being transported by sea and air (as well as land). Otherwise the transport of nuclear and radioactive material by air and sea is outside the ONR’s purposes. The security of transport of nuclear material in Great Britain by road, rail and inland waterway is covered by both the transport purposes and the security purposes.
367.The ONR’s transport purposes are also limited to civil transportation, and do not extend to transportation of radioactive material that is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Defence (see subsection (2)(a)).