# Nuclear Installations Act 1965

**Full title:** Nuclear Installations Act 1965
**Citation:** 1965 c. 57
**Official source:** [legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1965/57](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1965/57)
**Status:** In force (substantially amended)
**Docket reference:** Ch06 Section 6.5

## Purpose

The NIA 1965 is the foundational statute for nuclear site licensing in the United Kingdom. It requires any person who installs or operates a nuclear installation to hold a nuclear site licence granted by the relevant licensing authority (now ONR). It also establishes the strict liability regime for nuclear damage.

## Key Provisions Relevant to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

### Licensing (Sections 1-6)

- **Section 1:** No person shall use a site for installing or operating a nuclear installation unless a nuclear site licence is in force. The licence is granted by ONR (originally the Minister, later HSE/NII).
- **Section 3:** Licence conditions may be attached by the licensing authority at any time. These are the primary regulatory tool — ONR currently imposes 36 standard licence conditions covering design, operations, safety cases, emergency arrangements, decommissioning, and more.
- **Section 5:** The licensee must ensure that no ionising radiations from the site cause injury to persons or damage to property.

### Liability for Nuclear Occurrences (Sections 7-21)

- **Section 7:** The licensee has strict liability (no fault required) for injury or damage caused by a nuclear occurrence on the licensed site.
- **Section 13:** Establishes compensation limits (revised upward by EA 2023).
- **Section 16:** Covers liability for nuclear matter in transit.

### Period of Responsibility (Section 5A)

The licensee remains responsible for the site until ONR is satisfied that no danger from ionising radiations remains, and the licence is formally revoked or surrendered.

## Key Amendments

| Amending Legislation | Year | Changes |
|---------------------|------|---------|
| Energy Act 1983 | 1983 | Extended to cover waste storage and processing sites |
| Energy Act 2004 | 2004 | Transferred functions to HSE; NDA provisions |
| Energy Act 2013 | 2013 | Transferred licensing authority to ONR |
| **Energy Act 2023** | **2023** | **Increased compensation limits; accession to Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC); excluded fusion installations from NIA licensing; extended licensing regime to territorial sea** |

## NFC Course Relevance

- Every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle involving fissile material on a significant scale (enrichment, fuel fabrication, reactor operation, reprocessing, spent fuel storage) takes place on an NIA-licensed site.
- The licence condition regime is the backbone of UK nuclear safety regulation.
- The EA 2023 amendments are important for new build projects and for understanding the evolving scope of nuclear regulation (fusion exclusion, offshore siting).

## Cross-References

- [EA_2013.md](EA_2013.md) — Established ONR as the licensing authority
- [EA_2023.md](EA_2023.md) — Major amendments to NIA 1965
- [EA_2004.md](EA_2004.md) — NDA and decommissioning context