Nuclear Installations Act 1965

Changes over time for: Section 4

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Nuclear Installations Act 1965, Section 4 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 02 October 2026. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.

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Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 4:

Act modified by 2014 c. 20 Sch. 1 para. 3(2)(3)
s. 1(13) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(2)
s. 3(12A) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(3)(b)
s. 3A inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(4)
s. 5(15)(ba)(bb) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(5)(f)
s. 5A inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(6)
s. 7B(2A) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(7)(a)
s. 7B(5A) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(7)(c)
s. 27(1)(aa) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(8)

Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

Act modified by 2014 c. 20 Sch. 1 para. 3(2)(3)

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

s. 1(13) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(2)
s. 3(12A) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(3)(b)
s. 3A inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(4)
s. 5(15)(ba)(bb) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(5)(f)
s. 5A inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(6)
s. 7B(2A) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(7)(a)
s. 7B(5A) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(7)(c)
s. 27(1)(aa) inserted by 2023 c. 52 s. 303(8)

[F14Attachment of conditions to licencesU.K.

(1)The appropriate national authority—

(a)must, when it grants a nuclear site licence, attach to it such conditions as the authority considers necessary or desirable in the interests of safety, and

(b)may attach such conditions to it at any other time.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), “ safety ” in relation to a nuclear site includes—

(a)safety in normal circumstances, and

(b)safety in the event of any accident or other emergency on the site.

(3)Conditions that may be attached to a licence by virtue of subsection (1) may in particular include provision—

(a)for securing that an efficient system is maintained for detecting and recording the presence and intensity of any ionising radiations from time to time emitted from anything on the site or from anything discharged on or from the site;

(b)with respect to the design, siting, construction, installation, operation, modification and maintenance of any plant or other installation on, or to be installed on, the site;

(c)with respect to preparations for dealing with, and measures to be taken on the happening of, any accident or other emergency on the site;

(d) without prejudice to sections 13 and 16 of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 or to [F2the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/1154)], [F3or to the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018] with respect to the discharge of any substance on or from the site.

(4)The appropriate national authority may at any time attach to a nuclear site licence such conditions as the appropriate national authority may consider appropriate with respect to the handling, treatment and disposal of nuclear matter.

(5)The appropriate national authority may at any time vary or revoke any condition for the time being attached to a nuclear site licence by virtue of this section.

(6)The appropriate national authority must consult the appropriate environment authority before—

(a)attaching any condition to a nuclear site licence, or

(b)varying or revoking any condition attached to a nuclear site licence,

if the condition relates to or affects the creation, accumulation or disposal of radioactive waste.

(7)In subsection (6) “radioactive waste”—

(a) in relation to a site in England or Wales, has the same meaning as in [F4the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016];

(b)in relation to a site in F5... Northern Ireland, has the same meaning as in the Radioactive Substances Act 1993;

[F6(c)in relation to a site in Scotland, has the same meaning as in paragraph 5 of schedule 8 of the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018.]

(8)Any power under this section to attach, vary or revoke a condition is exercisable in writing.

(9)The appropriate national authority must consider any representation which is—

(a)made to it by an organisation representing persons who have duties on a site in respect of which a nuclear site licence is in force, and

(b)relates to the exercise by the authority of any of its powers under this section in relation to the site.

(10)Where a condition attached to a nuclear site licence by virtue of this section is contravened, each of the following is guilty of an offence—

(a)the licensee, and

(b)any person having duties upon the site in question who committed the contravention.

[F7(10A)person convicted of an offence under subsection (7) in England and Wales is liable—

(a)on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, or a fine, or both;

(b)on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the general limit in a magistrates’ court or a fine, or both.]

(11)A person convicted of an offence under subsection (10) in F8... Scotland is liable—

(a)on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, or a fine, or both;

(b)on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, F9... or a fine not exceeding £20,000 F10..., or both.

(12)A person convicted of an offence under subsection (10) in Northern Ireland is liable—

(a)on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or a fine, or both;

(b)on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months, or a fine not exceeding the prescribed sum, or both.

(13)In relation to an offence committed before [F112 May 2022] the reference to [F12the general limit in a magistrates’ court] in subsection [F13(10A)(b)], as it has effect in England and Wales, is to be read as a reference to 6 months.]