A radical reset - actionable opportunities from the UK nuclear regulatory review 2025

Our paper offers a series of practical opportunities which, if implemented, would allow the nuclear industry and government to respond effectively to the recommendations from the Nuclear Regulatory Task Force.

In line with its plans for both expanding the amount of nuclear energy in the UK and retaining an effective nuclear deterrent, the UK government launched a fundamental review into how the country's nuclear sector is regulated in 2025, with the establishment of the Nuclear Regulatory Task Force.

The Task Force published a series of recommendations, aimed primarily at government but with some directed towards the industry. All of the recommendations were accepted in full by the government early in 2026, however little detail has been proposed to date regarding exactly how those recommendations might be implemented in practice. 

This paper seeks to put forward a suite of practical opportunities for response, which - if implemented - could deliver the more efficient and effective regulatory regime necessary to underpin the country's nuclear sector without compromising on safety or security.

In developing the paper, the authors have taken input from both within the Dalton Nuclear Institute's academic team, which includes individuals with extensive practical experience of policy, operations and regulation across the nuclear sector, and from a range of nuclear duty holders from across the civil and defence communities. 

We hope that the Paper is a useful input for those seeking to drive positive change in the sector.

Authors

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  William Bodel - Dalton Fellow in Nuclear Energy Policy

  Will's doctoral research into nuclear engineering materials focused on nuclear graphite and its behaviour under reactor conditions. He subsequently worked on material fracture and life-extension of the UK’s AGR fleet. His current research focus is on energy policy, and nuclear systems choice for net zero.

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  Adrian Bull MBE - BNFL Chair in Nuclear Energy and Society, Dalton Nuclear Institute

  Adrian holds his Dalton role alongside his position as the President of the Nuclear Institute, and as a Member of the General Assembly of The University of Manchester. He worked for BNFL for 23 years and Westinghouse for six and was awarded an MBE for his work on improving stakeholder engagement around nuclear issues – a subject he is passionate about.

  Read Adrian's research profile

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  Gregg Butler - Head of Strategic Assessment, Dalton Nuclear Institute

  Gregg has over 50 years’ experience in most aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle: R&D, planning, commercial, plant, site and company operations and management, director and advisory committee roles. He has published extensively on nuclear topics, and is currently concentrating on nuclear energy’s role in net zero.

  Read Gregg's research profile

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  Francis Livens - Professor of Radiochemistry at The University of Manchester

  Francis Livens is a Professor of Radiochemistry and the former Director of the Dalton Nuclear Institute. He has acted as an advisor to the nuclear industry both in the UK and overseas, was Chair of the Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board (NIRAB) from 2020-2024 and is a Non-Executive Director of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

  Read Francis' research profile

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  Fiona Rayment DBE FREng FRSE - BNFL Chair in Nuclear Policy and Capability, Dalton Nuclear Institute

  Fiona has decades of experience in the nuclear sector, both in the UK and internationally. She is a chartered Chemist and Engineer with a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, and has held senior leadership positions in research, innovation and technology. She has played a key role in shaping nuclear policy and capability, and continues to support the sector through a range of academic, government and industry roles.

  Read Fiona's research profile