News story

Reappointment of the Chair of the Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board

Lady Janet Balfour of Burleigh has been reappointed as Chair of the Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board (NLFAB) for a second term …

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Lady Janet Balfour of Burleigh has been reappointed as Chair of the Nuclear Liabilities Financing Assurance Board (NLFAB) for a second term of office.

The role of the NLFAB is to ensure that operators of new nuclear power stations make robust financial arrangements to meet the full costs of decommissioning and their full share of waste management and disposal costs.

Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy, said:

“I am pleased to appoint Lady Balfour to be Chair of the NLFAB for a second term. It is vital that operators - and not taxpayers - meet the costs of decommissioning, waste management and disposal for their new nuclear power stations and the NLFAB have an important role in ensuring this.”

The reappointment of Lady Balfour is for two years from 1 November 2011.

Separately, Stephen Newson has been appointed as a member of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) by sponsor Ministers from DECC and the Devolved Administrations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is an interim appointment until 31 October 2012 to provide the Committee with expertise in underground engineering. Stephen Newson is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and is currently a Principal Mining Consultant for Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd.


Notes for editors:

  1. The NLFAB is an advisory non-departmental public body set up to provide advice to the DECC Secretary of State on the suitability of the FDP (Funded Decommissioning Programme). It consists of a Chair and six members. Lady Balfour was appointed as Chair of the NLFAB on 1 November 2008 for three years. Her current term will expire on 31 October 2011.
  2. This a part time appointment based on an average of six Board meetings a year. The remuneration is £750 per day.
  3. Appointments to the NLFAB are made in accordance with the requirements of the Code of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. In accordance with the Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity to be made public. Lady Balfour has not declared any political activity. She holds one other Ministerial appointment: Chair of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund.
  4. Further information about the NLFAB can be viewed on the DECC website.
  5. Further information about Funded Decommissioning Programmes can be viewed at on the DECC website.
  6. CoRWM (the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management) provides independent scrutiny and advice to UK Government and Devolved Administration Ministers on long-term radioactive waste management, including storage and disposal. The Committee’s primary task is to provide independent scrutiny of the UK Government’s and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s proposals, plans and programmes to deliver geological disposal, together with robust interim storage, as the long-term management option for higher activity waste. For more information see the CORWM website
  7. CoRWM consists of a Chair and 14 members. Members, with an average time commitment of one day per week, receive £300 per day. For more information see the CoRWM website.
  8. Stephen Newson takes over from Andy Sloan who stepped down from CoRWM membership on 30 April 2011. An appointments process to be run in 2012 will refresh around half of CoRWM’s membership and that exercise will appoint a member to provide underground engineering expertise from 1 November 2012.
  9. Appointments to CoRWM are made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the Nolan recommendations, appointees’ political activity (if any declared) must be made public. Mr Newson has not declared any political activity. Mr Newson holds no other ministerial public appointments.
Published 31 October 2011