Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Clarkson Excerpts

Wednesday 24th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[David T. C. Davies]

The economic policies being pursued by this Government are to bring inflation down, as the news today demonstrates. I very much hope the hon. Lady will want to celebrate the fact that inflation is now falling. This United Kingdom Government are committed to seeing inflation halved. The policies of her party would push inflation through the roof and push us into another financial catastrophe and crisis of the sort we saw the last time it left office.

[Chris Clarkson (Heywood and Middleton) (Con)]

3. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on new nuclear power sites in Wales.

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

4. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on new nuclear power sites in Wales.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (David T. C. Davies)]

The Government have established Great British Nuclear to drive forward the UK’s new nuclear programme. GBN will be working with the Government on access to potential sites for new nuclear projects and I will continue to build on the clear cross-party support there is to promote Wales as the destination of choice for one of the first projects.

[Chris Clarkson]

My hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn (Virginia Crosbie) has been subtly, almost subliminally, making the case for new nuclear in her constituency, but of course with the advent of small modular reactors there is the opportunity for communities across Wales to benefit from clean nuclear energy. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Welsh Government to make sure Wales is primed to take advantage?

[David T. C. Davies]

I had a meeting with the Minister for Nuclear, my hon. Friend the Member for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine (Andrew Bowie), and yesterday I met the interim chair of GBN, Simon Bowen. We had a very interesting and informative discussion on this emerging technology, which I think is very exciting and offers huge potential for Wales.