The Atomic Energy Authority Act 1959 ( 8 & 9 Eliz. 2. c. 5) is an Act of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...

which amended and extended the constitution and powers of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

Background

The Atomic Energy Authority Act 1954 had established the

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority is a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of fusion energy. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ...

(UKAEA). The work of the Authority had increased over the five years since it was founded. For example, the number of staff had increased from 17,000 to 37,000. There had also been internal reorganisation of divisions. The Authority therefore thought it was expedient to make provision for a greater number of members on its governing body. The

National Institute for Research in Nuclear Science The National Institute for Research in Nuclear Science was a UK Government establishment that provided equipment and facilities for nuclear research that would otherwise be beyond the financial capability of individual universities and other nucl ...

, was established in 1957 to manage research into nuclear physics undertaken by the UKAEA. However, there was no provision for staff to benefit from the Authority’s pension scheme.

Atomic Energy Authority Act 1959

The Atomic Energy Authority Act 1959 received

royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...

on 17 December 1959. Its long title is: ’An Act to increase the maximum number of members of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, and to enable the Authority to include in their pension schemes staff of the National Institute for Research in Nuclear Science.’

Provisions

The Act comprises four sections. * Section 1. Increase of maximum number of members of Authority. The 1954 Act had specified that the Authority shall consist of a Chairman and not more than 10 members. The 1959 Act increased this to not more than 15. * Section 2. Provision of pensions for staff of the National Institute for Research in Nuclear Science. Applied the provisions of UKAEA’s pension to staff of the Institute. * Section 3. Expenses. Additional expenses resulting from this Act were to be defrayed from money’s provided by Parliament. * Section 4. Short title and citation. Atomic Energy Authority Act 1959.

Aftermath

The 1959 Act was amended by the

Science and Technology Act 1965 The Science and Technology Act 1965 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which established the Science Research Council and the Natural Environment Research Council, and made provision for their financing; it reallocated certain resp ...

(c. 4).

References

*"The Atomic Energy Authority Act, 1959". Halsbury's Statutes of England. Second Edition. Butterworth & Co (Publishers) Ltd. 1960
Volume 39
(Continuation Volume 1959). pp 1314 & 1315. See also pp 1304 & 1324. *"The Atomic Energy Authority Act 1959". Halsbury's Statutes of England. Third Edition. Butterworths. London. 1972
Volume 37
Page 400. See also pp 8, 369, 387 & 397. *Halsbury's Statutes of England and Wales. Fourth Edition. 2009 Reissue. LexisNexis
Volume 17(1)
Page 325. See also pp 27, 60, 106, 110 & 117. *"Atomic Energy Authority Act, 1959"
Current Law Statutes Annotated 1959
Sweet & Maxwell. Stevens & Sons. London. W Green & Son. Edinburgh. Page 8 E 2 c 5/1-4. *"Atomic Energy Authority Act, 1959" in "The Statutes 1959-60" (1960
230
The Law Times 145 (9 September 1960) *"Atomic Energy Authority Act 1959" in "Statutes" in "Weekly Review" (1960
110
The Law Journal 136 (26 February 1960) *"Atomic Energy Authority Act, 1959" (1960) Notes on Current Politics
issues 13-24
p 6 *Halsbury's Laws of England. Fourth Edition. 2007 Reissue. LexisNexis Butterworths
Volume 19(3)
para 1364 at p 56, and para 1375 at p 64. *F R Frame and Harry Street
Law Relating to Nuclear Energy
Butterworths. London. 1966. pp 18, 19 & 225.
Nuclear Legislation: Analytical Study
OEDC. 1969. p 213. *John J Clarke. "Atomic Energy Authority Act, 1959". Outlines of Central Government
Fourteenth Edition
Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons. London. 1965. pp 88 & 89. *G Eaves. Principles of Radiation Protection. (Nuclear reactor technology series
vol 2
. Iliffe Books. London. 1964. p 156. *I G Anderson. Councils, Committees, & Boards
Edition 4
CBD Research. 1980. p 333. *W Thornhill
The Nationalized Industries
Nelson. 1968. p 233. *British Industry
1967
p 15 *"Atomic Energy Authority Act, 1959" Whitaker's Almanack
1961
p 348. *Joint Committee on Atomic Energy
Scientific Research in Great Britain
United States Government Printing Office. Washington. 1960. p 283. *Energy Research Abstracts. Volume 7. No 05
p 1273
*Is it in Force?
Winter 2007
p 88. {{Authority control United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1959