Commentary on Sections Chapter 1: Nuclear Decommissioning Section 14: Annual reports
88.Section 14 deals with the preparation and publication of the NDA’s annual report.
89.Subsection (1) requires the NDA to produce an annual report on the discharge of its responsibilities and the carrying out of its other functions as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of the year in question and to send it to the Secretary of State and Scottish Ministers.
90.The report must cover all the matters specified in subsection (3) and any others which the NDA may be directed to cover by the Secretary of State after consulting the Scottish Ministers. Subsection (5) requires that the report must also deal separately with activities in respect of decommissioning and clean up and operational installations and facilities such as the Magnox stations, THORP and SMP. This reflects the commitment in the White Paper to provide specific information on the performance of Magnox, THORP and SMP and the rationale for keeping them open.
91.Subsections (6) and (7) require the Secretary of State to lay the NDA’s report before Parliament and to publish it in the manner which, in his opinion, is most appropriate for bringing it to the attention of stakeholders. Subsection (8) requires the report to be laid before the Scottish Parliament. Under subsection (9), the Secretary of State may exclude anything before laying and publishing the report which he considers to be against the interests of national security, or which relates to the private affairs of an individual or the commercial interests of a particular body of persons where publication of such information would seriously and prejudicially affect the interests of that individual or body.