The Government has announced the start of a prioritisation process to select no more than three nuclear reactor designs to proceed to the next stage of Generic Design Assessment (GDA).

The objective of this is to allow the nuclear regulators to focus their resources on those designs which are most capable of being licensed and operational in the UK within a 2016-2022 timeframe.

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The nuclear regulators, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency (EA), recently announced the findings from the first step of GDA carried out on the four eligible designs submitted for new nuclear power stations. They found no shortfalls at this stage - in terms of safety, security or the environment - that would prevent any of them from ultimately being constructed on licensed sites in the UK.

The Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise and Regulatory Reform will make recommendations to HSE and Environment Agency on the designs that should be given the highest priority for progressing to the next steps of GDA. This will take place by the end of April 2008.

(CD/JM)