The National Nuclear Laboratory is calling on the UK government to provide £10 million of its £85m turnover when the government takes over operations at the facility next year.
The lab generates its entire income from commercial consulting and R&D projects for industry and government, but the government’s Nuclear Industrial Strategy, published on 26 March, outlined its intention to take over the running of the lab and reform its mission from April 2014.
According to Graham Fairhall, the NNL’s chief scientist, the changes will involve the lab performing two extra functions: supporting national R&D programmes and supplying formal advice to government. “There’s a very strong commitment from both the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for us to work with them to make the justification for these programmes,” Fairhall said.
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