DECC is accountable to Parliament for safety at nuclear power stations and other licensed civil nuclear sites in the UK.
The Secretary of State receives advice on nuclear safety issues from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) through its Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), which was launched as agency of the HSE in April 2011, pending planned legislation to establish it as a statutory body . The HSE currently has statutory responsibility for ensuring there is adequate health and safety regulation across most industry sectors, including the UK nuclear industry.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which regulates work-related health and safety generally, carries out licensing and day-to-day regulation of nuclear sites through the ONR.