U.K. PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE GRILLS OFFICIALS OVER SELLAFIELD PERFORMANCE

U.K. government officials faced a harsh grilling over cost overrruns at Sellafield from Margaret Hodge, chair of the U.K. Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, at a hearing Monday on the Sellafield site. “What is extraordinary is that you have an absolutely rotten performance,” Hodge said. “In Sellafield, you sign a contract that does not meet your specifications on either risk transfer or competence and, despite all that, you are given £200 million extra a year. The budget increases from £1.6 billion to £1.8 billion a year, which is a 12 percent increase at a time when everywhere else in the public sector is expected to reduce spending, and you increase the share of efficiency savings. It is mind-boggling—how can you get there?”

The hearing came nearly a year after the committee launched an investigation into performance at the site. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Chief Executive John Clarke said that many of the performance issues are due to the “inherent nature of the beast that is Sellafield.” He explained, “The Major Projects Authority came in to review it recently, and their conclusion was that Sellafield presents unique technological project management and leadership challenges unparalleled anywhere.” He also noted that a recent contract modification incentivized schedule over cost on the site’s legacy ponds and silos.