Government Policy latest news
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NIS Update: April 2012
REPORT QUESTIONS WHETHER INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND COULD REMAIN IN NATO WITHOUT TRIDENT
A report by Professor Malcolm Chalmers, defence policy director of the influential Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), has questioned whether an independent Scotland could remove Trident nuclear weapons from their base on the Clyde and remain in NATO.
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The virtual option
The BASIC Trident Commission was set up almost a year ago to investigate the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons policy and the issue of Trident renewal and, better late than never, I've just got round to submitting Nuclear Information Service's evidence to the Commission.
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Secrecy over military equipment costs ‘makes a mockery of Government openness claims’
The costs of some of the most expensive and controversial military procurement programmes are to remain shrouded in secrecy despite a government promise to disclose spending on all contracts valued over £25,000.
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NIS Update: August – September 2011
ANNUAL ACCOUNTS PAINT BLEAK PICTURE FOR MINISTRY OF DEFENCE FINANCES
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) annual report and accounts for 2010-11, published earlier this summer, have further exposed the disorganised state of the Ministry's financial situation.
The accounts report a net operating cost of £47.1 billion and assets of some £127.9 billion mainly consisting of land, buildings, fighting equipment and stores together with gross liabilities of some £21.3 billion.
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Report warns that MoD nuclear safety is deteriorating
The safety of the MoD's nuclear programmes is under threat in the medium term from a lack of finance and suitably competent staff, according to the Defence Nuclear Environment and Safety Board (DNESB), which oversees nuclear and radiological safety and environmental protection in the MoD.
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NIS Update: June – July 2010
REDUCTION IN UK NUCLEAR WARHEAD NUMBERS BEGINS
The Ministry of Defence has announced that the programme for implementing reductions in the number of UK nuclear warheads outlined in last year's Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) has now commenced.
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Boundary Hall development at AWE: Inspector says no, Minister says yes
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, has decided to grant planning permission for the controversial 'Boundary Hall' housing development in Tadley, ignoring advice from the independent inspector at last year's planning inquiry into the development.
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Deteriorating military safety performance puts public and environment at risk
An official annual report has found “significant weaknesses” in the Ministry of Defence's safety performance and plots a deteriorating trend in military safety.
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A tale of two reviews
How much of an issue will plans to replace the UK's Trident nuclear weapons be during the next general election campaign? Although the election is not scheduled to take place until 2015, the battlelines for the Trident debate are already being drawn.
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Review of UK nuclear safety identifies lessons from Fukushima
The Health and Safety Executive's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has completed an interim assessment of the implications of the Fukushima nuclear emergency in Japan and concluded that the UK nuclear industry can learn a number of lessons from the incident, although the current operations of UK nuclear plants need not be curtailed.
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Trident Initial Gate – here at last!
Word cloud showing the frequency of words in the Ministry of Defence Initial Gate report.
Defence Secretary Liam Fox has announced that approval has been given to go ahead with the detailed design phase of development of new submarines planned to replace the current Vanguard class vessels which carry the UK's Trident nuclear weapons.