A key facility for the treatment of radioactive waste from the production of nuclear weapons at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston is two years behind schedule, and the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) has resorted to imposing 'special measures' reporting on AWE in an attempt to force the establishment to deliver the project on time.

Correspondence between AWE and the NII, released to the Nuclear Information Service under the Freedom of Information Act, reveals that NII does “not have confidence that the project will be delivered to time”, and has ordered AWE to provide monthly written updates on progress with the project.