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NIS Update Newsletter: June 2015

Contents of this month’s NIS Update newsletter from Nuclear Information Service:

• Ministry of Defence reviews command arrangements to sort out nuclear weapons “mess”.
• Trident whistleblower William McNeilly ‘sacked to save the Navy’s image’.
• Atomic Weapons Establishment management contract to be terminated?
• Atomic Weapons Establishment off the hook over failure to treat radioactive waste.
• ‘Humanitarian Pledge’ in the spotlight as NPT conference fails to agree on disarmament action.
• Joint US-UK research programme demonstrates feasibility of disarmament monitoring and verification.
• Cancellation of Trident programme would have limited impact on Scottish jobs.
• Safety improvements ordered at Devonport nuclear dockyard after worker is contaminated.
• Blog article: ‘Don’t provoke Russia’ says Hammond – as NATO flexes its muscles in the Baltic.

Ministry of Defence reviews command arrangements to sort out nuclear weapons “mess”

Senior civil servants have handed David Cameron proposals to radically reshape the way in which the UK’s nuclear weapons programme is managed, following a confidential review undertaken by the Ministry of Defence. Read more.

Trident whistleblower William McNeilly ‘sacked to save the Navy’s image’

William McNeilly, the Royal Navy whistleblower who exposed security and safety flaws in Britain’s nuclear-armed submarines, has left the Navy and will not face court martial or any further punishment for his actions. Read more.

Atomic Weapons Establishment management contract to be terminated?

A 25 year contract to manage the government laboratory where the UK’s nuclear weapons are designed and built may be terminated by the Ministry of Defence as a result of poor performance, safety concerns, and project management failures. Read more.

Atomic Weapons Establishment off the hook over failure to treat radioactive waste

The Atomic Weapons Establishment will not be prosecuted for failing to treat intermediate level radioactive waste stocks which have accumulated at its Aldermaston site – even though the company defied a legally binding instruction by missing a deadline to deal with the waste. Read more.

‘Humanitarian Pledge’ in the spotlight as NPT conference fails to agree on disarmament action

The month-long review conference for the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has ended in disarray after governments represented at the conference were unable to reach agreement on the wording of a final document outlining the conference’s conclusions. Read more.

Joint US-UK research programme demonstrates feasibility of disarmament monitoring and verification

After fifteen years of study, the United States and the United Kingdom have concluded that the monitoring and verification of nuclear warhead disarmament is ‘feasible’ – removing a barrier on the path to a world without nuclear weapons. Read more.

Cancellation of Trident programme would have limited impact on Scottish jobs

A new report published jointly by the Sottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament shows that many of the skills used by Scottish workers in the Trident nuclear weapons programme could be transferred to other non-Trident submarine work, surface warship work or economic development activity in alternative areas. Read more.

Safety improvements ordered at Devonport nuclear dockyard after worker is contaminated

The government’s nuclear safety watchdog has ordered the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine base at Devonport in Plymouth to improve safety after a string of incidents. Read more.

Blog article: ‘Don’t provoke Russia’ says Hammond – as NATO flexes its muscles in the Baltic

The Foreign Secretary’s words lack conviction as NATO military exercises take place on Russia’s eastern flank. Read more.

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