- Date released
- 26 August 2022
- Request number
-
202207022
- Release of information under
- Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)
Information requested
I would like a list of all uranium imports into the UK for the nuclear power sector. I would like this data to go back to the first of January in the year 2016.
For each entry on the list I would like to know the following information: the date of import, what was imported, the quantity that was imported, the name of the company or individual that supplied it, the name of the company or individual that received it, the origin country of the nuclear fuel. Please can the information provided to me be supplied in Excel format. I would also like it to be as up-to-date as possible.
Information released
We try to be as open as possible when answering requests for information but your request is broad and could cover a wide-range of information. Due to the volume and the way the information is held on ONR’s systems, gathering it together is likely to involve a cost in excess of the £600 limit set by the government for dealing with Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. I would like to ask you therefore to refine your request to bring it within the appropriate limit.
Refining your request:
You may wish to consider refining your request by the following to bring it in scope:
- Reducing the number of years the question relates to - we estimate by approximately one third.
Further Information:
For more information on the cost of compliance, please see the following link: Requests where the cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit.
In considering any further refinement we would also like to alert you to the fact that a considerable proportion of this information is likely to be classed as Sensitive Nuclear Information (SNI) and may fall within s.24 of the FOIA.
S.24(1) applies where withholding the information requested is required for the purposes of safeguarding national security. It works to protect national security, which includes protection of potential targets. It allows a public authority not to disclose information if it considers releasing the information would make the UK or its citizens more vulnerable to a national security threat.
SNI has a number of legal definitions within UK legislation, within The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, The Nuclear Industries Security Regulations (NISR) 2003, and The Energy Act (TEA) 2013. Whilst not taking precedent over these legal definitions, a simple, working definition of SNI can be described as information relating to activities carried out on or in relation to civil nuclear premises; and deemed to be of value to an adversary planning a hostile act. This definition and further guidance can be found within ONR’s Classification Policy.
Should this be deemed the case we would be required to balance the public interest between disclosure and non-disclosure. We have recently issued a similar response which we thought you may find helpful as an illustration - FOI202207016.
If you wish to refine your request as stipulated above, please contact us via the email address contact@onr.gov.uk, quoting reference: FOI202207022. Any reformulated request will be treated as a new FOI request.
Exemptions applied
s.12
PIT (Public Interest Test) if applicable
N/A