The NDA and Sellafield Ltd still have more to do to build a culture where all employees feel able to raise concerns and report poor behaviour. The exceptionally hazardous nature of many of Sellafield’s activities means that it is imperative that all employees and contractors on the site feel able to raise any concerns that they have without fear of consequences. While the witnesses told us that they felt the site’s reporting culture was good, we remain to be convinced, since there are other indications of a sub–optimal culture. This Committee and its predecessors have received a number of letters from whistleblowers in recent years making concerning allegations, and we are aware that the NDA paid £377,200 in 2023–24 to settle employment–related claims. It is good that the Department, NDA and Sellafield Ltd recognise the need to do more to improve the site culture, and we acknowledge the improvement in staff survey results over recent years. However, it is concerning that the Department and the NDA did not identify the need to take action earlier–particularly in light of Sellafield Ltd’s chief executive’s observation that there was a disconnect between Sellafield’s workforce and leadership when he took over in July 2023. 6 recommendation The NDA should publish information in its Annual Report about: • the prevalence and perception of bullying and harassment broken down by site and demographic groups, accompanied by suitable benchmarking; • other staff survey results which it believes are particularly important in assessing the health of its corporate culture; and • metrics to measure the effectiveness of its various reporting mechanisms including safety reporting. 7 1 Addressing the most significant hazards Introduction