Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jo Stevens and Jack Rankin

Wednesday 11th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jo Stevens]

I say again that the positive impact of the UK and Welsh Labour Governments is clear in how the Welsh economy is changing. Employment has increased significantly in Wales, unemployment and economic activity have fallen, and real total wages have increased across the UK.

[Jack Rankin (Windsor) (Con)]

7. What discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the future of nuclear power in Wales.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Jo Stevens)]

Yesterday we announced the biggest nuclear building programme in a generation. We are investing £14.2 billion to build Sizewell C, and we confirmed Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred bidder to build the country’s small modular reactors. I met the chair of Great British Energy Nuclear last week to discuss how to maximise the opportunities for Wales of new nuclear projects, and I will continue to work with the Energy Secretary and the Welsh Government to ensure that Wales’s supply chain and workforce benefit from that investment.

[Jack Rankin]

Wales has incredible potential for the next generation of nuclear, but Labour’s announcement yesterday is a fraction of what is needed. Green baseload power that stabilises our grid enhances power generation, as it has done before in Anglesey. Will the Minister give a clearer answer today to confirm that Wales will be a key part of new nuclear, building on Conservative work supporting Welsh nuclear, or will this be another failure to deliver for these communities under Labour?

[Jo Stevens]

Almost all the UK’s nuclear power stations are currently due to come offline in the 2030s. It is this Government who are changing that, setting out our plan to end the years of Tory failure to invest or deliver on nuclear. We will deliver the biggest nuclear building programme in a generation.