Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has reported a landmark environmental case in which a landowner, Jeff Lane, will have money confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA 2002) for offences under forestry legislation. Lane illegally felled more than 8 hectares of native woodland within the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty near Swansea between April 2019 and September 2020 without a licence. Lane was found guilty of forestry offences, relating to felling without a licence and for noncompliance with an enforcement to replant the trees, at Swansea magistrates’ court in April 2022. The judge handed him a confiscation order for £11,280 under POCA 2002 and a fine of £1,500. Lane appealed the April 2022 conviction but was found guilty again at trial in November 2022.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has reported on enforcement action it has taken against those carrying out illegal river works to protect communities in South Wales and how that has helped to lower the risk of flooding for wildlife and residents living in these areas. NRW has explained that its specialist team has investigated over one hundred cases across South Wales with the goal of the enforcement being engagement with offenders in constructive discussions to advise and guide on how to reduce flood risks. NRW has noted that with one in seven homes and businesses being at risk of flooding in Wales, it is important that people know and understand flood risks.

Natural Resourced Wales (NRW) has reported on several cases of successful aversion and reduction of flood risk in areas across Wales. In the first case, enforcement action taken against unpermitted riverbank construction work averted an increased flood risk in Bettws Cedewain. Dredging of the River Alyn at Plas Yn Rhal in Ruthin was addressed by NRW and remediation steps included returning dredged sediment and introducing fencing and soft revetments to stabilise the banks. In Wrexham, a remediation notice enabled the removal of unpermitted gabion installations which increased erosion and flood risks. Lastly, in Prestatyn pollution prevention advice, guidance and a warning letter were issued to a landowner who installed twin culverts without permission. The cases form part of NRW's 90 ongoing enforcement actions.

National Skills Academy for Nuclear: An employer-led organisation established to ensure that the UK Nuclear Industry and its Supply Chain has the skilled, competent and safe work-force it needs to deal with the current and future UK nuclear programme, including all sub-sectors. NSAN is "The lead strategic body that represents the industry to stimulate, coordinate and enable excellence in skills to support the nuclear programme." www.nsan.co.uk

National Skills Academy Nuclear Manufacturing: An expansion to the remit of NSA Nuclear to ensure the skills needs for manufacturing in the supply-chain'>nuclear supply chain are addressed. This is in partnership with Semta SSC and Nuclear AMRC to ensure a ‘one stop shop’ for manufacturing nuclear skills development.

Nuclear Safety Committee: A specific requirement for licensee’s compliance to Licence Condition (LC) 13. The purpose of this condition is to ensure that the licensee sets up a nuclear safety committee (NSC) which can consider and advise on all matters which may affect safety on or off the licensed site. The committee must have members who are adequately qualified to perform this task and to provide a source of authoritative advice to the licensee.

supply-chain'>Nuclear Supply Chain Partnership: Bings together manufacturing companies who have a realistic offering to the nuclear developer, reactor vendor, and top tiers of the supply chain. It acts as a business tool to create a manufacturing legacy for the UK.

This document tracks and summarises all appeals made under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSI Act) before the appeal courts. For details of all decisions in which the UK government has intervened on national security grounds under the National Security and Investment Act 2021,

Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project: These are large infrastructure projects specified in the Planning Act 2008 such as new nuclear power stations. Other developments that can be a NSIP include other power stations (including offshore wind farms), gas storage facilities, energy transmission systems, energy from waste projects, road, port, airport, reservoirs and major waste water treatment plants and water transfer schemes. Applications relating to an NSIP are made to the Secretary of State for a Development Consent Order (DCO) which replaces the old regime of applications for Section 36 Consents under the Electricity Act 1989 (although this remains for some applications which fall outside of the NSIP regime). DCOs bring together a number of different planning and consenting regimes including planning permission, compulsory purchase powers, the diversion or stopping up of rights of way and marine licences. The individual scheme promoter engages in significant community and stakeholder consultation before making its formal application to the Secretary of State, who will decide whether or not to grant development consent in accordance with relevant designated National Policy Statements (NPSs). The Secretary of State determines the proposal after the examination of the NSIP application by an examiner (or examiners), appointed by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State. That examination process is principally made up of the submission of written representations, but can also include hearings before the examiner(s). The Secretary of State's decisions are open to legal challenge.

Nuclear Skills Passport: A highly secure web based platform that can be used to record and demonstrate the achievement of competence and nationally agreed and recognised skills and training standards as a tool to drive performance improvement and support transferability and mobility of the workforce. www.ns4p.co.uk

PBE has published a report on children’s services spending in England, examining trends in local authority spending between 2011–25 and the challenges of rebalancing the system towards earlier support for children and families. The report finds that local authorities spent a £14.7 billion on children’s services in 2024/25, with 82% of total spending allocated to late intervention services, up from 62% in 2010/11. It highlights that early intervention spending remains more than 40% lower than it was 15 years ago, while 82,000 children are now in care, up 25% since 2011 despite the child population increasing by only 7% over the same period. The report states that the average cost of supporting a child in care now exceeds £100,000 per year and that spending on care placements has risen significantly faster than the number of looked after children. It also identifies growing regional disparities, with the gap in local authority spending per looked after child increasing by 35%, creating what it describes as a postcode lottery for families. In addition, spending on services for young people has fallen by around 73% since 2010/11, from £1.5 billion to £0.4 billion, reflecting the longer-term shift in spending from early intervention to late intervention services.

Nuclear Steam Supply System: That part of an NPP which incorporates the nuclear heat source, the heat transport system and other systems directly connected to the NSSS. Usually referred to as “N-triple S”.