Energy: Nuclear Power

Viscount Hanworth Excerpts

Thursday 29th November 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, my noble friend raises a very important point given the circumstances of recent days. However, she will know that no planning permission for any site is given unless there is a proper investigation of environmental impact on nuclear plants.

[Viscount Hanworth]

My Lords, is it not clear to the Government that their pursuit of a free-market ideology has led to the collapse of their plans for Britain’s nuclear energy? Is it not time to establish a national agency that could commission the building of our nuclear power stations and that would be empowered if necessary to borrow funds on the open market to finance such vital infrastructure? Can the Minister give an opinion on this?

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, the noble Viscount will be pleased to hear that at least this Government have taken new nuclear very seriously, as they have other energy sources. I remind him that his Government were in power for 13 years and failed to address any of these problems.