The Royal Society, Britain's national academy of science, said scientists need to learn much more about how best to dispose of radioactive waste but that such a need should not be "used as an excuse" to delay action.

"The nature of scientific knowledge is such that there will always be levels of uncertainty associated with any method of disposing of radioactive waste," the society's vice president Sir David Wallace said.

"However, there is considerably less uncertainty surrounding burying radioactive waste deep underground in stable geological formations than other options," Wallace said.

"It is important that we act with urgency because identifying appropriate sites and then consulting on and building these deep storage facilities will take decades," he said.

He said this time lag means a long-term management strategy will require an interim storage period, as recommended by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), an independent group appointed by the government.

The Royal Society supports CoRWM's recommendations that an independent body be set up to oversee the staged decision-making process into site selection and beyond.

In a review of its energy policy, the government said earlier this month that nuclear power could make a significant contribution to Britain's energy needs, alongside renewable energy sources.

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