How the objectives of the NDA impact on its stakeholders

A stakeholder is anyone that has an interest in an organisation.

The NDA has a lot of important stakeholder groups in the UK as the future of energy supply is such an important issue.

Key stakeholders include:

• the government. The government has a responsibility to make sure that this country has a secure, safe and efficient energy industry.

• energy consumers. We all want cheap and clean fuel. There are three main types of consumers:

- households – using energy for heating, lighting, cooking, hot water etc.

- business users – using energy to power machinery, provide fuel for transport, etc.

- public service providers – using energy to heat schools, illuminate operating theatres in hospitals, etc.

• local communities. People that live close to energy producers have a stake in a variety of ways. For example, the plant and facilities create jobs for local people. In addition, the sites may have health and safety risks associated with them. Contamination from energy sources also creates pollution

• the media and public opinion. The type of energy we use is an issue of major public debate. Some people argue that coal-fired stations create too much carbon dioxide pollution. Others say that wind farms create eyesores. Others argue that nuclear waste is a potential threat to public safety and a possible source of terrorist activity.

• the energy companies. Companies such as British Energy and British Nuclear Group producing or distributing energy.

• the regulators. They are responsible for creating the rules and supervising competition in the energy industry.

In creating a strategy for nuclear decommissioning, the NDA has had to work very closely with key stakeholder groups. The NDA has established a National Stakeholder Forum as well as local stakeholder groups at each of its sites. They are independent of the NDA and are regularly consulted about specific and generic issues. Events aimed at getting views from a variety of stakeholders are held on a regular basis. Through this process the NDA gains useful insights that help to shape the strategy. These events and meetings also provide an opportunity to explain the NDA's responsibilities in setting out arrangements for consulting stakeholders.

Communications

The NDA has communicated its ongoing plans in different ways, including:

• on its website

• through a media pack for national and local newspapers

• by encouraging members of the public and others to send in their comments.

The NDA has kept a record of all these comments and has responded to opinions and ideas in creating a strategy to serve the needs the community at large. The NDA has carried out an environmental assessment of its ongoing plans and of the impact of existing nuclear sites.