Concerns have been raised over safety and environmental failings at the Dounreay nuclear site on the north coast of Scotland.

In a letter to UK Energy Minister Richard Harrington, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham complained over a "lack of progress" at the site "across a wide range of projects".

Ms Cunningham asked the Minister to "give priority to securing improved performance at the Dounreay site", stating it was "vital" there was continued momentum in the "safe and effective clean up" at Dounreay.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) gave an "at risk" rating for the management of radioactive waste and a "poor" rating for the management of low level waste vaults in its 2016 end-of-year assessment.

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She wrote: "As you may know, we share common interests in civil nuclear decommissioning and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).

"The NDA is jointly responsible to UK and Scottish Ministers for its plans in Scotland. However, it is the UK Government, through BEIS and UKGI that sets the detailed financial and management performance framework for the NDA, and provides them with their funding.

"The recently published NDA annual report presented in stark terms the lack of progress at Dounreay across a wide range of projects. While I am aware that the exotics movement programme has been a priority, this is still a disappointing state of affairs, and sits oddly with the planned reduction in workforce at Dounreay.

"Local stakeholders have told me that they cannot understand why the current substantial voluntary redundancy programme is in place where there is still so much work to complete on the site.

"I would therefore ask that you give priority to securing improved performance at the Dounreay site, with continued consideration of local stakeholder views. It is vital that there is continued momentum in the safe and effective clean up at Dounreay. The people of the North of Scotland deserve nothing less."

(LM)