The former bosses of Britain’s nuclear clean-up body are embroiled in a bitter legal fight over a two-year probe into the botched handling of a contract that cost taxpayers more than £120m. Sky News has learnt that Stephen Henwood and John Clarke, respectively the former chairman and chief executive of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) are trying to block the publication of criticisms contained in a report by a leading businessman. Steve Holliday, the former chief executive of National Grid, was asked by the Business Secretary Greg Clark to undertake an independent inquiry into the award of the Magnox nuclear decommissioning contract, and its subsequent termination, in March 2017. Mr Holliday is understood to have completed his report several months ago, before launching a process of Maxwellisation, which allows those facing criticism in official reports to challenge their findings. However, lawyers acting for Mr Henwood and Mr Clarke – who are believed to be heavily criticised in the report – are understood to have raised objections to the process followed by Mr Holliday.
Sky News 5th Jan 2019 read more »
City AM 5th Jan 2019 read more »
An inquiry into a botched £6bn contract to clean up nuclear power stations has been thrown into turmoil after former managers launched a judicial review to challenge its legitimacy. The government scrapped the Magnox clean-up deal after a judge ruled in 2016 that the procurement had been “manipulated” and “fudged” by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The inquiry appears to be descending into farce after five former NDA managers launched a judicial review citing concerns over its “legality, equality and fairness”.
Times 6th Jan 2019 read more »