Office of Public Sector Information

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Radioactive Contaminated Land Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (S.R. (NI) 2006 No 345) (“the 2006 Regulations”), extending their application to all radioactivity including situations where civil liability for damage to land is regulated, for the purposes of the Paris Convention on third party liability in the field of nuclear energy, by the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (c. 57) or foreign law (in other words, situations where the radiation arises from a nuclear occurrence) (paragraphs (2) to (4) of regulation 3). They also exclude from the regime situations where the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 (S.R. (NI) 2001 No 436) apply in so far as any action that could have been required be taken under these Regulations, if they applied, would have already been required to be taken under those Regulations (regulation 3(5)).

These Regulations also implement obligations arising under Articles 48 and 53 of Council Directive 1996/29/Euratom laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionizing radiation (OJ No. L 159, 29.06.1996, p.1).

A full regulatory impact assessment was produced in relation to the 2006 Regulations and that remains relevant to these Regulations. As such a further full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no additional impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen. A Transposition Note in relation to these Regulations has been prepared and placed in the library of each House of Parliament. Copies of this document can be obtained from the Radioactive Substances Division, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Room 4C, Ergon House, Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2AL