Commenting on the report from the Committee of Public Accounts – 'Nuclear Decommissioning Authority: Managing risk at Sellafield' – Prospect National Secretary Mike Graham said:

"The select committee is right to call on the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to demonstrate what value it is getting for the payments made to Nuclear Management Partners Ltd (NMP).

"But it fails to acknowledge the positives NMP have brought to Sellafield, not least of which is the technical knowledge and expertise gained from nuclear sites across the world.

"We also believe that, given the complexity of the safe decommissioning of the site, no Parent Body Organisation could have fully appreciated the scale of the challenges Sellafield presents until they were in post.

"However, now is the time for closer scrutiny. NMP Ltd should not only be called to account but it should question whether the senior management team at the site is delivering the promised commitments.

"We need more evidence that the salaries paid to NMP senior directors match their actual performance within the company. Closer scrutiny would ensure that the public is actually paying for expertise that brings added value to the clean-up operation and not just bolsters NMP Ltd's reputation."

Graham said the workforce and the unions remain committed to making Sellafield safer, more productive, more cost effective and a potential site for new contracts.

"Nothing should detract from the goal of the safe and efficient acceleration of high hazard risk reduction. We would welcome the opportunity to show members of the committee around the site so they can see at first hand the dedication of the staff and the opportunities for future work."