Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to designate sites where new nuclear reactors can be tested and established, and how the processes of certification will be expedited.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are developing a new nuclear National Policy Statement (NPS) and have launched a consultation on a proposed siting policy, which includes greater flexibility in where nuclear power stations can be located. The Government’s Nuclear Roadmap has set out plans to streamline future nuclear development to make Britian the best place in the world to invest in nuclear.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the expected timescale from the decision to proceed with Hinkley Point C until it is providing power to the grid.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Hinkley Point C is not a government project and EDF is responsible for delivery with the developers being responsible for any cost and schedule overruns and not UK taxpayers or consumers. On 23 January 2024, EDF announced a revised schedule that projected that Hinkley Point C would start generating between 2029 and 2031.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that, in future, the United Kingdom will not have to rely on foreign suppliers of nuclear technology.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It is an exciting time for GBN as we are running an SMR competition to identify those technologies best able to facilitate 2029 FID decisions and deliver projects in the mid-2030s. GBN is seeking technology partners that will provide design and development of various products, equipment or services related to the key plant required for SMR nuclear generation.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that in the competition to find the best modular reactor the support from agencies of the government of the United States and large US commercial enterprises for US designs will not place Rolls-Royce at a disadvantage.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The 2022 British Energy Security Strategy set out our ambition to deploy up to 24 Gigawatts of civil nuclear generation by 2050, around 25% of our projected 2050 electricity demand.
GBN is running an SMR technology selection process to select those technologies best able to facilitate Final Investment Decisions in the next Parliament and be operational by the mid-2030s.
In November 2021, Government announced £210m in new funding for Rolls-Royce SMR, awarded through the Low-Cost Nuclear challenge. This investment was to further develop SMR design and take it through the regulatory processes to assess suitability of potential deployment in the UK.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of risk of declining to adopt the Rolls-Royce reactor for the future of Britain’s nuclear industry.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It is our ambition to deploy up to 24 Gigawatts of civil nuclear generation by 2050, around 25% of our projected 2050 electricity demand.
GBN is running an SMR technology selection process to select those technologies best able to facilitate Final Investment Decisions in the next Parliament and be operational by the mid-2030s.
Through the Advanced Nuclear Fund, the Government has awarded up to £210m to support development of the Rolls Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) design. The Rolls-Royce SMR entered the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process in March 2022, becoming the first SMR to begin UK nuclear regulation. In April 2023, the Rolls-Royce SMR progressed to Step 2 of GDA.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the design of the Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (RRSMR) was given a grant of £210m in the Low-Cost Nuclear award in 2021 and is one of six selected technologies, in the first phase of the Great British Nuclear Technology Selection Process aiming to identify technologies best able to reach a project Final Investment Decision by the end of 2029 and deliver projects in the mid-2030s.
In April 2022, the regulators began a Generic Design Assessment (GDA) looking at the safety, security, and environmental impact of the RRSMR reactor design. The regulators concluded in April 2023, that all required activities for Step 1 of the RRSMR GDA have been completed and progressed to Step 2.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation between Venezuela and Guyana.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is concerned by the recent steps taken by Venezuela with respect to the Essequibo region of Guyana. We consider the unilateral actions of Venezuela unjustified and have said they should cease. The UK is clear that the border was settled in 1899 through international arbitration.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Americas, Caribbean and Overseas Territories) visited Guyana on 18 December to show UK support for its territorial integrity.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many times have HMS Spey and HMS Tamar visited the war graves of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse in the past 12 months.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We continue to work closely with the relevant authorities in the region to afford these sites suitable protection. The wrecks of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse are designated as protected places under the UK's Protection of Military Remains Act 1986.
HMS Spey recently visited the wreck sites of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse to conduct patrol/presence operations. The Ship also held a memorial service for those who lost their lives in the sinking of both ships as part of the UK's remembrance events in November 2023.
Based on records available from 1 December 2022 - 1 December 2023, this has been the only visit by HMS Spey or HMS Tamar to the wreck sites of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Autumn Statement which notes that £4.6 billion was given to Ukraine in military aid over 2022–23 and 2023–24, how much will be given in fiscal year 2024–5.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the noble Lord to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Armed Forces (James Heappey), in the House of Commons on 28 November 2023 to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Deane (Mr John Healey) in response to his Urgent Question on the war in Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their policy has changed as regards plans for defence spending, given that the Spring Budget stated an aspiration to invest 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product in defence but this is not mentioned in the Autumn Statement.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the noble Lord to the reply given by my hon. Friend, Minister of State for Defence (James Cartlidge), in the House of Commons on 27 November 2023 to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Deane (Mr John Healey) in response to Question number 3090.