A major project to dispose of more than 1,000 stainless steel drums of waste at Nuclear Waste Services’ Low Level Waste Repository site from the Winfrith Magnox site, each weighing around one tonne, has successfully completed its initial rail transfer.

The project, which has been several years in the planning, is a prime example of the One NDA approach, through working in co-operation across the group, safely enabling an early, fit-for-purpose transport and disposal solution to support ongoing decommissioning activities.

The drums, which originated from the Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor (SGHWR) at Winfrith, were placed in the Treated Radwaste Store (TRS) awaiting transfer to the Harwell Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) facility. However due to a period of radioactive decay, they have been reclassified from Intermediate Level Waste to Low Level Waste, allowing early disposal at the Repository site with significant financial savings to the UK taxpayer.

A significant achievement

Andrew Munro, Winfrith Site Director, commented:

The shipment of these drums is a significant achievement for the site and is another step closer to completing our decommissioning mission and returning the site to heathland with public access. Many thanks to all parties involved who have made this possible, a great example of a collaborative approach.

The drums will be transported by rail in cabriolet containers and will arrive at the Repository site in multiple consignments. Planning and preparation were key to the success of this project. The construction of a new haul road has been undertaken to transport the drums to their final resting place in Vault 8.

A drum posting system will be installed on the vault floor, which aids location of the drum stacks, making best use of available space. Disposal of the waste in single drums enables Nuclear Waste Services to utilise otherwise unusable space within the vault, reducing the amount of in-fill material required to close it.

Eleven consignments, each transporting 10 cabriolet containers of 10 drums, will arrive on site by rail transfer provided by Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS), approximately every 13 weeks, depending on the retrievals process at Winfrith.

Five years in the making

Howard Falconer, Head of Customer Management at Nuclear Waste Services (Operations and Services), said:

Seeing the first train depart Winfrith and arrive at the Repository is an exciting moment for everyone involved in the project.

It is the result of over five years of collaborative planning and preparation by Nuclear Waste Services, Magnox Ltd, Nuclear Transport Solutions and our extensive supply chain partners involved in the delivery of this work, including Cyclife, React Engineering, PDL and Stobbarts, to mention but a few.

However the work does not stop there, and whilst the project team will take a pause to enjoy the moment, and capture learning to optimise future deliveries, the Magnox team will continue to retrieve drums, and Nuclear Waste Services will start the preparations for the first emplacements to take place later this year – there is still lots of hard work to be safely delivered.

We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union strongly condemn the continued testing of ballistic missiles by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launch conducted on March 24, 2022.

Since the beginning of 2022, the DPRK has conducted an unprecedented series of missile tests which build on ballistic missile tests conducted in 2021, including launches of new so-called hypersonic missiles, and has claimed a submarine-launched ballistic missile test. These tests demonstrate the DPRK’s continued efforts to expand and further develop its ballistic missile capabilities. We deeply regret that the DPRK, with the most recent launches, has also abandoned its self-declared moratorium on ICBM launches. We strongly condemn these acts which are in blatant violation of the DPRK´s obligations under numerous UN Security Council resolutions including resolution 2397 (2017). These reckless actions threaten regional and international peace and security, pose a dangerous and unpredictable risk to international civil aviation and maritime navigation in the region and demand a united response by the international community, including by further measures to be taken by the UN Security Council.

We strongly urge the DPRK to fully comply with all legal obligations arising from the relevant Security Council resolutions. We call on the DPRK to accept the repeated offers of dialogue put forward by all parties concerned, including the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan. We, the G7 foreign ministers and the High Representative of the European Union, also call on the DPRK to abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

We are clear that the dire humanitarian situation in the DPRK is the result of the DPRK´s diversion of the DPRK’s resources into weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes rather than into the welfare of its people.

We call on all States to fully and effectively implement all restrictive measures relating to the DPRK imposed by the UN Security Council and to address the risk of weapons of mass destruction proliferation from the DPRK as an urgent priority. We note with concern the report by the Panel of Experts established in pursuant to resolution 1874(2009) that illicit ship-to-ship transfers continue to take place. We remain ready to assist in and strengthen capacities for effective sanctions implementation. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, we commend the work of the 1718 Committee, which has swiftly approved all Covid-19 related sanctions exemption requests for humanitarian assistance for the DPRK.

The G7 are committed to working with all relevant partners towards the goal of peace on the Korean Peninsula and to upholding the rules-based international order.

• new designations target arms dealers and companies responsible for supplying weapons to the military
• Minister for Asia condemns the military’s use of violence and calls for return to democracy

Two individuals and 3 companies responsible for supplying the Myanmar military regime with weapons and equipment have been sanctioned, the UK government has announced today. The UK has also designated the new Head of Air Force who was recently appointed to the State Administration Council.

The move comes ahead of Myanmar Armed Forces Day this weekend. On Armed Forces Day last year, the Myanmar military killed over 100 civilians, in what is regarded as the bloodiest day since the coup in February 2021.

New sanctions, freezing assets and banning travel to the UK, will be brought against Dr Aung Moe Myint, Aung Hlaing Oo and General Htun Aung.

Dynasty International Company Ltd, Myanmar Chemical and Machinery Company Ltd, and Miya Win International Ltd will also have their assets frozen. The UK has worked closely with partners in the US and Canada to coordinate this latest round of action.

Minister for Asia Amanda Milling said:

The Myanmar military has shown no signs of stopping its brutal campaign of violence against the people of Myanmar, who continue in their fight for democracy.

These sanctions target those who are instrumental in supplying the military with weapons that facilitate these abuses across the country.

Working with like-minded countries, the UK will always defend the right to freedom, democracy, rule of law and hold to account this suppressive, brutal regime.

The Myanmar military continue to use violence against civilians, including indiscriminate airstrikes, village burnings, and the suppression of the opposition movement.

The individuals and entities listed are responsible for facilitating this violence, including through supplying the military with weapons and services that have increased their ability to commit human rights violations.

These designations demonstrate the UK’s commitment to identifying and cutting off, the military’s supply of weapons and equipment from abroad.

The UK strongly condemns those countries who continue to facilitate the flow of arms to the military regime.

These countries share a responsibility for the brutal violence meted out by the Myanmar military.

The UK will continue to coordinate with allies, to push for an end to violence, the full implementation of the ASEAN Five Point Consensus, and immediate humanitarian access to those in need of lifesaving aid.

Those sanctioned today are:

• Dr Aung Moe Myint: Director of Dynasty International Company Ltd, responsible for procurement of arms for the Myanmar military. He is also Honorary Consul of Belarus to Myanmar, and the representative of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Myanmar

• Aung Hlaing Oo: Managing Director of Myanmar Chemical and Machinery Co Ltd (MCM). Through his control of MCM, he has acted as a key source of weapons and commercial support for the junta. He is also an associate of Commander-in-Chief and coup leader, Min Aung Hlaing

• General Htun Aung: Newly-appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Air Force. He is also a Director of Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Ltd – a major conglomerate ran by the Myanmar military and sanctioned by the UK, United States and European Union for financing the military’s human rights violations

• Dynasty International Company Ltd: an importer and broker of arms imports to Myanmar. It has been responsible for the supply and upkeep of military and training aircrafts for the Myanmar Air Force, including since the February 2021 coup

• Myanmar Chemical and Machinery Company Ltd: acts as a key source of weapons and commercial support for the junta

• Miya Win International Ltd: responsible for ongoing activity in brokering deals for the supply and upkeep of aircraft for the Myanmar Air Force. It has continued to support the Myanmar Security Forces since the coup in February 2021

• Five local authorities across England will trailblaze adult social care charging reform
• Trailblazers will implement the new adult social care charging reform system early
• Charging reforms will mean no one has to face unpredictable care costs

Government has announced that five local authorities in England will implement a new and improved adult social care charging reform system which caps the cost of care.

To ensure a smooth transition from the current charging system the five trailblazing local authorities – Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Cheshire East, Newham, North Yorkshire – will put the charging reform plans in place in January 2023 ahead of a national rollout in October next year.

This includes a new lifetime cap of £86,000 on the amount anyone in England will need to spend on their personal care, alongside a more generous means test for local authority financial support.

The trailblazing areas were selected to ensure a cross section of communities are represented and so any insight, evidence and lessons learned from this initiative will be useful to providers and authorities in all parts of England.

The Health and Social Care Levy will raise more than £5.4 billion for adult social care reforms which includes including £3.6 billion to reform the way people pay for their social care charging reform to ensure the new system is fair and responsible, balancing government support and the need for people to be responsible for their future care needs.

From October 2023 no-one starting to receive care will pay more than £86,000 over their lifetime, and no-one with assets of less than £20,000 will have to make any contribution from their savings or housing wealth – up from £14,250. Anyone with assets between £20,000 and £100,000 will be eligible for some means-tested support with the upper limit more than four times the current limit.

The trailblazers will shape the government’s approach to implementation by allowing the Department of Health and Social Care to test key aspects of the reforms.

The initiative will generate valuable evidence and insight to help the government to monitor progress, identify challenges and improve understanding of how this will work in practice.

These five local authorities will co-produce documentation to educate and inform other local authorities with a series of events to be planned before the final rollout.

The launch of the operational initiative is running in parallel with the ongoing Parliamentary discussions on the Health and Care Bill, which includes charging reform.

This is necessary to make sure England is operationally ready for charging reform.