Nurse showing patient health data on tablet.

Addressing hundreds of delegates at the 2018 Civil Nuclear Showcase, Dr Simper told the audience that “all aspects of the NDA’s experience is commercially available”.

Run by the UK’s Department of International Trade, the event promotes opportunities for international collaboration across all areas of the nuclear sector.

Dr Simper highlighted the progress being made in decommissioning and hazard reduction at the NDA’s 17 nuclear sites across the UK, including:

• the removal of waste from the oldest and most challenging plants at the Sellafield site in West Cumbria
• the removal of almost all of the spent nuclear fuel from the Magnox nuclear reactors
• innovative technology being used to safely carry out decommissioning work in a variety of challenging and hazardous environments

Dr Simper said:

The UK nuclear industry leads the world in many areas of its work to decommission and clean up the legacy from the earliest days of the civil nuclear legacy,

Even though we have different reactor types, our waste management, decommissioning and spent fuel management capabilities are very applicable to Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China and other markets.

We are eager to work with international suppliers and industry colleagues, maximising the benefit of our learning and experience.

The event provides an opportunity to network with a diverse mix of senior international and UK delegates representing government, utilities, technology providers, major contracting companies and all tiers of the supply chain.

Recently, technology that was developed through NDA funding was used to measure radiation levels in the damaged Fukushima reactors. The RISER drone carries a sophisticated radiation detection and mapping system which was originally used to examine conditions in the remaining Windscale Pile chimney at Sellafield.

The last remaining Proteus Gas Turbines in use anywhere in the world were stood down on 20 January 2018 after 47 years of faithful service

Around 80,000 cubic meters of soil, that’s enough to fill 32 Olympic sized swimming pools, is being reused to help form the embankments on a nearby scheme.

By reusing this material it will benefit both schemes by reducing vehicle movements and costs. Transporting the soil will involve more than 10,000 lorry movements totalling over 60,000 miles.

The A19 Coast Road scheme is digging deep to remove the earth to form an underpass, creating the first triple decker roundabout in the North East.

As the soil is removed it will be transported to a site in Wardley where it will be stored to create the embankments for the A19 Testo’s scheme.

Highways England’s project manager for the A19 Testos scheme Paul Ahdal said:

This is just one of the many examples where Highways England is re-using materials which will not only reduce costs but also provide environmental benefits for both schemes.

Both of the schemes will provide smoother journeys for drivers along the A19 as they will no longer needing to negotiate the roundabouts. Work on the A19 Coast Road involves digging out an underpass and the A19 Testo’s involves creating a flyover structure over the roundabout. The excess soil will be used to form the embankments for the Testo’s scheme which is due to start in 2019 in the same year Coast Road is due to be completed.

This is just one of the ways the A19 Coast Road team is re-using or recycling excess material from site in line with Highways England’s Sustainable Development Strategy.

Around 250 tonnes of the old road surface has been donated to Benton Quarry Park in Benton and 160 metres of steel fence from the central reservation has been donated to Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields.

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Do you know what occasion attracted one of the biggest mass gatherings in the history of East Africa? A Bob Marley concert, perhaps? Or a Papal visit? In fact, it was the Queen’s arrival in Uganda to open a Commonwealth summit that inspired hundreds of thousands of people to come together in 2007.

As Her Majesty and Prince Philip drove from Entebbe Airport to the capital, Kampala, they were greeted by cheering crowds lining every inch of the 20-mile route. I cannot imagine any head of state except the Queen – or any international organisation except the Commonwealth – stirring such popular enthusiasm.

So I’m delighted to report to readers of the Sunday Express that Her Majesty will be opening another Commonwealth summit on April 19 and this time the occasion will be here in London.

We are unlikely to rival Uganda when it comes to mass gatherings – something that will be of comfort to the Metropolitan Police – but this event will demonstrate the immense value of the Commonwealth, now and in the future. In some countries, international meetings happen in plate glass conference centres – think sumptuous and functional but, dare I say it, rather bland.

That’s not how Britain does these things, certainly not when the occasion is so special. We will hold the summit in Buckingham Palace, Lancaster House and St James’s Palace. On the final day, the leaders will travel to Windsor Castle. I hope this will be a uniquely memorable gathering, showing just how much importance Britain attaches to the Commonwealth. And I believe that our faith is amply justified.

As we celebrate Commonwealth Day tomorrow, the Commonwealth’s 53 members comprise a third of humanity. Of those 2.4 billion people spread across 6 continents, 60% are under the age of 30. They are joined with us by ties of history and friendship and the English language. They share our values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. And our natural affinity finds its expression through the institution of the Commonwealth.

When you’re looking for future opportunities, any good businessperson will tell you to go where the growth is. And for decades, if you untangle the numbers, you will discover some remarkable facts. Since Britain decided to join what became the European Union in 1972, the EU has recorded average annual economic growth of just over 2%. Yet, over the same period, the Commonwealth’s economies have expanded twice as fast – by an average of 4.4% every year. Today, the Commonwealth has a combined GDP of $10.5 trillion, accounting for almost 14% of the global economy.

India alone has an economy of $2.3 trillion and annual growth of 7% – faster than any EU country. All of this represents a huge opportunity for British business.

The good news is that when we leave the EU, we will regain the power to sign free trade agreements with our Commonwealth friends, allowing the UK to make the most of thriving markets. Brexit will give us the ability to open a new era of friendship with countries across the world.

A key theme of the London summit will be how to boost trade within the Commonwealth. We’ll also discuss how to improve security co-operation and take joint action to protect the world’s oceans, bearing in mind that the Commonwealth includes island states in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.

And I will ensure that the summit focuses on the terrible injustice that deprives millions of girls of the chance to go to school. At this moment, over 130 million girls across the world are not in the classroom, many of whom – alas – live in Commonwealth countries.

My aim is for all governments to promise to deliver 12 years of quality education and learning for every child. The fact that we will discuss such a wide range of subjects – trade, security, girls’ education, protecting the oceans – is yet more proof of the value of the Commonwealth.

This is going to be a great summit and a huge opportunity for a Global Britain.