Revise ONR's charging model to give dutyholders greater cost certainty
Revise ONR charging model
Charging levels should be proportionate to inspector experience. There must be transparency around costs with narratives provided to licence applicants. There should be an allowance for the generation of surplus and for that to be reinvested into wider regulatory activities, including R&D and international engagement, that develop ONR capability and benefit the sector.
Government should increase ONR's core grant to support international engagement in regulatory harmonisation and expertise in international nuclear technology and its regulation.
Government Response: ONR charging model reform requiring legislative amendments
ONR will revise its charging model, which will require amendments to multiple pieces of legislation. The reformed model is designed to deliver financial independence, governance assurance, and fee predictability for dutyholders. In the interim, immediate improvements to existing administrative processes are being made. This is a significant commitment given the legislative complexity involved, and the dual-track approach of interim improvements alongside structural reform demonstrates awareness that the current cost-recovery model constrains ONR capacity.
Primary Owner
Co-owners
Key Regulators
Taskforce target: September 2026 (for implementation from March 2027)
Notes: Implementation from March 2027
Sectors
Domains
The content in this tracker is partially AI-generated based on the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce report. We have worked hard to ensure it is accurate, but some of the titles, descriptions, etc. may be slightly different or truncated. If you find any errors or inaccuracies, please report them to us.