Oral Answers to Questions

Marcus Jones Excerpts

Thursday 1st November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Dr Phillip Lee (Bracknell) (Con)]

1. What steps he is taking to ensure that nuclear power provides a significant proportion of the UK’s future electricity supply.

[Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) (Con)]

16. What steps he is taking to ensure that nuclear power provides a significant proportion of the UK's future electricity supply.

[The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Mr Edward Davey)]

The Government remain committed to ensuring that conditions are right for investment in new nuclear power in the UK without public subsidy, and we have taken action to remove potential barriers. The carbon floor price and electricity market reform will provide the certainty needed for investment in low carbon generation, including nuclear. The Government are talking to NNB GenCo about the potential terms for Hinkley Point C, and earlier this week I welcomed the excellent news that Hitachi had acquired Horizon Nuclear Power.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Jones]

I congratulate my right hon. Friend and his ministerial team on encouraging the substantial investment to secure Britain’s nuclear future that Hitachi has announced only this week. Will he say a little more about what the Government are going to do to ensure that we secure as many British jobs as possible from this substantial investment?

[Mr Davey]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This is not only good news and a huge vote of confidence for the UK’s energy policy; it is also good news for British industry. Hitachi has already signed a memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce and Babcock, and the supply chain potential is huge, with 6,000 jobs during construction at Wylfa and Oldbury, and 1,000 permanent jobs after construction. When I announced the Hitachi decision, I also announced that we had set up the Nuclear Industry Council to enable the Government to work with the industry to maximise the potential for the supply chain in this country.