GMB has called for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to be scrapped after £122 million was wasted due to "fundamental failures" over the award of a clean-up contract.

A recent report by the National Audit Office (NAO) raised "serious questions" over the NDA's understanding of procurement regulations after it was forced to scrap a £6.2bn Magnox nuclear clean-up contract following legal claims by a contractor.

The deal collapsed in March this year after a "significant mismatch" was found between the work specified in the tendered contract and the work that actually needed to be carried out.

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As a result, taxpayers have been left with a £122 million bill.

Justin Bowden, GMB National Secretary for Energy, said the union believes the wholesale overhaul of the NDA is now required by scrapping the organisation in its current form and redesignating it as the Nuclear Development Agency.

"GMB had been on the record for years warning that the NDA was dysfunctional under its past leadership and not fit for purpose," he said.

"Whilst most of those responsible for this mess may have gone, the Natinal Audit Office’s confirmation that the British taxpayer was fleeced due to the NDA’s incompetence supports GMB’s long held view that a radical re-think is needed under new Chief Executive David Peattie of the role and responsibilities of the Authority.

"The NDA is the same body charged last year with cutting nuclear workers' pensions whilst it had blown hundreds of millions in taxpayers money on failed contracts across the nuclear estate.

"We need to cut out the middle men and have this work done in-house to cut costs and to save the taxpayer money."

(LM)