Prospect’s response follows the publication of a report by the Business and Enterprise Select Committee that claims that nuclear clean-up funding in the UK is unstable and completely unacceptable.

On behalf of 15,000 scientists and engineers in the nuclear industry, Prospect National Secretary Mike Graham said:

"We welcome the committee’s findings which echo concerns that the union has been expressing for many months and throw a spotlight on the financial dilemmas which threaten decommissioning."

He said the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s current funding model is a mix of income from the operation of ageing plant, beset with technical challenges, and fixed short-term funding. "It does not allow for any flexibility to deal with contingencies but, as with any major industry, contingencies always arise.

"It takes many years to fully decommission a plant. But how can industry have the confidence to commit to the process when funding is constrained to three-year cycles? The NDA needs to be confident of a clear funding stream that will run over the long-term if the decommissioning programme is to continue as intended."

Graham said the union recognised the many other competing demands on the Treasury’s purse strings. However decommissioning is one of the biggest challenges facing the country and he urged the government to take a look at alternative funding strategies.

"The belief that challenges can be stepping stones or stumbling blocks depending on your viewpoint can no longer apply. Even with rose-tinted glasses the current NDA financing model cannot be relied on.

"Each change to the clean-up programme not only extends the overall bill to the taxpayer but has a devastating effect on the supply chain of contractors and other local stakeholders, with a resulting loss of confidence in the whole industry, including any potential new build."