Professor Sarah Sharples will be joined by Prof. Andrew Sherry and Mark Bassett, two members of the independent nuclear regulation Taskforce
Last year, the Prime Minister established an independent Taskforce to review civil and defence nuclear regulation. The Taskforce treated this as a once in a generation opportunity to regulate nuclear energy in a way that promotes better delivery without compromising safety.
We are thrilled to welcome Prof. Andrew Sherry and Mark Bassett, two members of the Taskforce, who will describe the approach taken to setting out a radical new vision for the nuclear regulatory landscape, outline key recommendations and, in the light of this, what action the University can take to improve research outcomes without compromising safety.
Join in person or online.
There will be a 20 min talk followed by Q&A, hosted by Professor Sarah Sharples, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Tea/coffee and cake will be provided from 13:15 with time for networking after the event.
About the Nuclear Regulatory Review:
Chaired by John Fingleton, the final report identified three systemic drivers of cost and delays:
- Risk aversion that arises because the system punishes failure but cannot reward success. This is worsened by inconsistent and insufficient political risk appetite.
- Process over outcome using complex procedures as protection which reduces accountability, judgement, and allows poor outcomes to be excused by “excellent” process adherence.
- Lack of incentives aligned with the public interest. Regulators and operators are not incentivised to maximise social benefits or minimise social costs.
The Taskforce set out 47 recommendations for a radical reset which were accepted by the Prime Minister in full and are now being implemented.
This event is part of our Expert Insights Series...
This series brings together leaders from the Dalton Community and our partners to share their views and experiences across the breadth of nuclear with a wider audience. The series is hosted by the Dalton Champions - members of Manchester's nuclear research community who work to enhance the Dalton network. Champions are based throughout the University, representing the many departments in which nuclear related research takes place.
About us
The University of Manchester's Dalton Nuclear Institute brings together the University's community of over 170 PhD researchers, postdocs and fellows, and 120 academics. Spread across three faculties, their work covers the full nuclear fuel cycle, fusion, health and social research. Together this community forms the most advanced nuclear research capability in UK academia.
Speakers
Mark Bassett
Biography: Mark Bassett is a member of the International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group (INSAG) and recently retired from the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) after 8 years where he was a Director and the Special Assistant to the Director General (DG) for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards. His role included dealing with, and providing advice to the DG on, a wide range of complex technical, diplomatic, and political matters in these areas. He has held senior leadership roles in the nuclear sector in the UK public and private sectors, as well as the international civil service, and was DCI (Deputy Chief Nuclear Inspector) at the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) for a number of years with over two decades in ONR where he held a wide range of roles across all nuclear sectors, both civil and defence.
Prof. Andrew Sherry
Biography: Andrew Sherry is Professor of Materials and Structures at the Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials at The University of Manchester. He has experience leading science and innovation, skills development, and infrastructure programmes across industry, national laboratories and academia. He was previously Chief Scientist and Special Advisor at the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory. He was also previously Chair of the Defence Nuclear Safety Committee, providing independent advice to the Secretary of State for Defence. In that role he was known for his ability to offer clear and pragmatic solutions to complex problems.
