Agency Agreements are legal documents used to transfer statutory responsibilities between bodies. We can enter into Agency Agreements to take on functions from other bodies under section 90 of the Energy Act. They require Ministerial approval and are signed by our Chair (since 1 April 2014).
Legal arrangements made on the creation of ONR in 2014 means that the agreements should be interpreted as applying to us and the successor body in all cases where it states HSE and a former government department.
| Organisation | Detail of the agreement | Effective from |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA) (Northern Ireland) | Agreement with Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs Northern Ireland (DAERA) Relates to the ADR carriage of class 7 goods by road functions, that ONR agrees to perform on behalf of DAERA in accordance with section 28(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and section 90(1) of the Energy Act 2013. |
7 November 2023 |
| Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) | Agreement with Maritime and Coastguard Agency Relates to the International Maritime Goods Code including the obligations related to the transport by sea of dangerous goods that ONR agrees to perform on behalf of the Secretary of State under section 90(1) of the Energy Act 2013. |
3 November 2023 |
| Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) | Agreement with Civil Aviation Authority Relates to the technical instructions for the safe transport of dangerous goods by air that ONR agrees to perform in accordance with the Authorisation under paragraph 15 of Schedule 1 to the Civil Aviation Act 1982 and agreement under section section 90(1) of the Energy Act 2013. |
10 October 2023 |
| Health and Safety Executive (HSE) | Agreement with HSE regarding the delegation of inspection functions The Agreement enables ONR to act as the enforcement authority on HSE’s behalf in relation to obligations under The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 (REPPIR19) associated with transit premises used for the civil transport of radioactive material. |
28 July 2020 |
| Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) | Agreement with the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Relates to the granting of permits and permission for the disposal of any fissile materials produced at certain nuclear installations that ONR agrees to perform on behalf of the Secretary of State in accordance with section 90(1) of the Energy Act 2013. |
14 May 2018 |
| Police Constabularies | Agreements with police constabularies across England, Scotland and Wales Relates to specific functions which the Chief Officer of each respective force will be entitled to perform on behalf of, but not to the exclusion of ONR with regards to the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009, in relation to the civil carriage of class 7 (radioactive) goods. |
3 May 2017 |
| Health and Safety Executive (HSE) | Agreement to clarify the definition of authorised defence sites within the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998 Relates to the transfer of enforcement responsibility from HSE to ONR on authorised defence sites in accordance with the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998. |
14 April 2015 |
| Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (now BEIS) | Agreement with Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (now BEIS) Relates to the Import of Goods (Control) Order 1954 that ONR agrees to perform on behalf of the Secretary of State in accordance with section 90(1) of the Energy Act 2013. |
1 April 2014 |
| Department for Work and Pensions | Agreement for Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 ("ELCI") Relates to the administration and enforcement of the Employers' Liability Insurance Act in relation to GB nuclear sites, new nuclear build sites and authorised defence sites in accordance with section 90(1) of the Energy Act 2013. |
1 April 2014 |
| Department for Energy and Climate Change (now BEIS) | Agreement with Department for Energy and Climate Change (now BEIS) Relates to the duties of directing the Civil Nuclear Police Authority and obtaining independent advice on the effectiveness of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary that the ONR agrees to perform on behalf of the Secretary of State in accordance with section 90(1) of the Energy Act 2013. |
1 April 2014 |
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), sometimes referred to as a General Agreement, is essentially an administrative agreement between ONR and another / other party to ensure that the parties involved understand each other's responsibilities. It is not a legally binding document, but is used to govern relationships.
| Organisation | Detail of the agreement | Effective from | Date reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health and Safety Executive and the environment agencies | Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH) This MoU aims to promote the prevention of major accidents and limitation of their consequences for human health and the environment. It is between:
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10 August 2017 | Agreement updated 25 October 2023 |
| Department Energy and Net Zero (DESNZ) | Memorandum of Understanding between ONR and Department Energy and Net Zero (DESNZ) Relates to overall relationship for the provision of ONR services to the DESNZ nuclear cluster and sets out the parties’ expectations with respect to the funding thereof. |
21 July 2023 | |
| Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) | Memorandum of Understanding between ONR and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) Provides the high level framework for how the activities of ONR and NDA with respect to the decommissioning and clean-up of designated sites, installations and facilities, and the health and safety of workers and others, will be coordinated. It is recognised that ONR is the regulator of nuclear installations and sites which fall within the NDA Group, for which NDA has statutory responsibility. |
8 March 2023 | |
| Government Legal Department (GLD) | Provision of legal services This MoU sets out the services GLD provides to ONR. This includes legal advice on policy making, planning casework, the development of primary and secondary legislation and the conduct of public litigation. GLD will also provide ancillary services such as support in relation to ONR parliamentary questions, ministerial correspondence and subject access and freedom of information requests. |
20 July 2022 | |
| Health and Safety Executive | Data Protection and Information Sharing This MoU sets out the arrangements ONR and HSE have agreed are effective following separation of ONR’s IT systems from HSE. It covers fundamental principles and working arrangements for all envisaged information handling and reciprocal data management. |
31 October 2020 | |
| Scottish Environment Protection Agency | Memorandum of Understanding between ONR and SEPA The purpose of this MoU is to ensure effective cooperation and collaboration between ONR and SEPA in the regulation of nuclear safety, security, radioactive materials transport, nuclear safeguards and environmental protection on nuclear licensed sites and at other sites where both ONR and SEPA have regulatory functions. |
8 January 2019 | |
| Health and Safety Executive | Effective Regulation of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17) The MOU was updated in 2021 to ensure the agreement was GDPR compliant and add supplementary detail on information sharing. |
4 December 2018 | 24 February 2021 |
| Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the ‘agencies’ | The implementation of arrangements for sharing information on and reporting incidents to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Relates principally to how BEIS, ONR and the agencies (HSE, HSE Northern Ireland, and the environment agencies) make use of the International Nuclear and Radiological Events Scale (INES) to fulfil the requirements for the reporting and sharing of information regarding reportable incidents, including the loss, theft or discovery of high-activity sealed sources, other radioactive sources and radioactive material of concern. |
10 September 2018 | |
| Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) | Changes to Ownership within the civil nuclear industry
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31 October 2017 | |
| Health and Safety Executive | Memorandum of Understanding between ONR and HSE Its purpose is to ensure effective cooperation and collaboration in the regulation of conventional (non-nuclear) health and safety, including policy matters and the enforcement of health and safety law, at GB nuclear licensed, new nuclear build and authorised defence sites, arising from the transfer of regulatory responsibility from HSE to ONR under the Energy Act 2013. This MoU complements the existing over-arching MoU between the two organisations ("Cooperation between HSE and ONR"). |
5 July 2016 | July 2019 |
| Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland | Arrangement for the exchange of information and co-operation with the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland Arrangement for the exchange of information and co-operation in the area of regulation of safe nuclear energy use for peaceful purposes between the Office for Nuclear Regulation of Great Britain and the Environmental Protection Agency of Ireland |
23 March 2016 | |
| Office of Rail and Road | Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) This MoU relates to the regulation of health and safety, including policy matters and the enforcement of health and safety law, on all of Britain's railways and sets out the interface between railways operated within nuclear sites and the rest of Britain's railway network. |
21 December 2015 | |
| Environment Agency | Memorandum of Understanding with the Environment Agency (EA) Relates principally to the regulation of nuclear safety, security, transport and environmental protection on nuclear licensed sites and other sites where both ONR and the Environment Agency have regulatory functions. |
18 August 2015 | 2018 |
| Ministry of Defence | General Agreement with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Outlines the relationship between MoD and ONR in discharging their respective roles and responsibilities for nuclear, radiological and conventional health and safety (H&S) in respect of the Defence Nuclear Programme. |
28 January 2015 |
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| Natural Resources Wales | MoU with Natural Resources Wales Relates principally to the regulation of nuclear safety, security, transport and environmental protection on nuclear licensed sites and other sites where both ONR and NRW have regulatory functions. |
17 December 2014 | |
| Health and Safety Executive | Cooperation between HSE and ONR Under section 96 of the Energy Act 2013, ONR must cooperate with HSE. This agreement outlines the principles and key areas of cooperation. |
1 April 2014 | |
| Work-related death (protocol) | Work related deaths protocol Emphasises the importance of working together to investigate thoroughly and to prosecute appropriately those responsible for work related deaths. Two separate protocols are in place for England and Wales (owned by the National Liaison Committee) and Scotland (coordinated via the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal). |
1 April 2014 |
ONR enters into IEAs (also known as bilateral agreements) with other international nuclear regulators in order to share information, experience and good practice where it is believed to be mutually beneficial and in the UK’s national interests. ONR does not have IEAs with every country with which it exchanges information – mutual cooperation is often achieved informally between signatories of the various international conventions. Each IEA differs, but in general covers the exchange of safety-related information concerning the regulation of siting, construction, commissioning, operation, transport of radioactive material, radioactive waste management and decommissioning of civil nuclear installations; and preparedness and management of nuclear and radiological emergencies.
ONR has in place a number of other IEAs which are beng reviewed and will shortly be published on this page.
ONR also receives Authorisations, Directions and Notices from Government placing duties upon ONR, or enabling the regulator to carry out its functions.
| Organisation | Detail of the agreement | Effective from |
|---|---|---|
| BEIS | Notice to the ONR under section 71 of the Energy Act 2013 Ministerial letter from BEIS regarding protection of sensitive nuclear information in the interest of national security. |
29 January 2018 |