A spokesperson for the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said: “We welcome today’s government announcement and look forward to working with the new independent taskforce to consider ways to speed up the delivery of new nuclear projects and the opportunities it presents.
"We understand the national priorities such as growth, the importance of energy security, achieving net zero and maintaining a nuclear deterrent - we will always work to support government and industry while protecting workers and the public.
"We are committed to ensuring our regulation does not delay nuclear projects and we work hard to enable their safe delivery and reduce unnecessary regulatory burden and add value.
"ONR is one part of the UK regulatory system for nuclear. We cover the design, construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. There are significant and wide-ranging obligations around planning and permitting involving the Planning Inspectorate and environmental regulators and we are keen to work on options to optimise the collective regulatory effort in the best interests of the UK.
"We look forward to the insights that will be offered on how we can further develop the international harmonisation work we already participate in to maximise the benefits in terms of reduced costs for industry and faster approvals.
“Nuclear safety and the protection of workers and the public will always be our priority, but we are committed to regulating in a way that supports cost-effective, efficient nuclear deployment, the adoption of innovation and technological advancements.”