"On the first part of my noble friend’s question, he should partially congratulate himself, because he was very involved in making that happen, and I join him in congratulating him. We have a very significant nuclear programme with SMRs coming along; and the Fingleton review and a series of other …..." Lord Vallance of Balham - View Speech
"The point raised about the heat production of HTGRs is very important. This is not just about the electricity; it is about the heat and what can be done with it. It is why we are keen to encourage advanced modular reactors in the UK. There is also an opportunity …..." Lord Vallance of Balham - View Speech
"My noble friend is right that there are many different technologies coming along, and one of the reasons why we put the advanced nuclear framework together is to make it possible for all those technologies to have a pathway through to production in the UK. This is an important moment, …..." Lord Vallance of Balham - View Speech
"We have two MOCs with Japan. One, as the noble Baroness rightly said, was signed in 2023, and a second, on HTGRs and fuel, was signed in 2024. We have regular meetings with our Japanese counterparts. Japan has long been held as an important collaborator for us in nuclear. The …..." Lord Vallance of Balham - View Speech
"The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is that, as we move towards contract completion with Rolls-Royce for the small modular reactors, we want to ensure that 70% of the supply chain, both onsite and offsite, is through British construction...." Lord Vallance of Balham - View Speech
"Yes. There is a big focus on security of information across the nuclear space, including of course cybersecurity, and on making sure that we retain the intellectual property and the know-how that are so crucial for the safety of this technology...." Lord Vallance of Balham - View Speech
"We have a committed ban on using any import from Russian nuclear fuel by 2028. As of now there is no direct use of Russian fuels; by 2028 indirect use will be eliminated as well. By that I mean fuel processed elsewhere that may have originated in Russia. We have …..." Lord Vallance of Balham - View Speech
"We have had two collaborations with the Japanese over the last couple of years, one on HTGRs and one on coated fuels, and we have an ongoing one on robotics. The point made about heat production is crucial. The Japanese, through our collaboration with them through UKNNL, have the demonstrator …..." Lord Vallance of Balham - View Speech
"I think public opinion is changing, and it has changed quite a lot in the past few years, but the noble Lord is right that there remain a lot of obstacles to moving fast in this space. That is why the Fingleton report, with its 47 recommendations, is so important. …..." Lord Vallance of Balham - View Speech