Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Penrith and The Border)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to develop nuclear fusion technology.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government published its Fusion Strategy in 2021, which describes how the UK will build on its fusion research leadership to commercialise fusion energy. The Government is investing over £700m into fusion research and innovation over three years and boosting private sector innovation in fusion’s technical challenges through a £42 million Fusion Industry Programme. In 2022 the Secretary of State for BEIS announced West Burton in Nottinghamshire as the site for STEP, the UK’s prototype fusion power plant, to be built by 2040 and capable of putting electricity on the grid.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Penrith and The Border)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the energy cost needs of businesses that are (a) off grid and (b) rely on alternative fuels such as heating oil and LPG.
Answered by Graham Stuart
I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer I gave my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan on 15th December 2022 to Question 105337.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Penrith and The Border)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of small modular nuclear reactors in the UK.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Small Modular Reactors could have an important role to play in the UK energy system as the UK transitions to net zero by 2050.
The Government has awarded £210m to support development of the Rolls Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) design. The Rolls-Royce SMR entered the Generic Design Assessment process in April becoming the first SMR to begin UK nuclear regulation.
As outlined in the British Energy Security Strategy, the Government intends to initiate a selection process in 2023 for the next nuclear projects, including SMRs.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Penrith and The Border)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of the nuclear energy sector in Cumbria.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department directly funds or has contracts with a number of nuclear establishments in Cumbria, including the National Nuclear Laboratory and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). A recent report found that NDA’s subsidiaries Sellafield Ltd and Nuclear Waste Services’ core sites in Cumbria contributed £1.3bn GVA across the local economy and supported 21,650 jobs.
The Government is taking action to support the development of the UK nuclear sector and has committed to setting up Great British Nuclear, which will be tasked with developing a resilient pipeline of new build projects. The Government is investing in nuclear, including through backing Sizewell C with £700 million, the launch of the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund and the Nuclear Fuel Fund.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Penrith and The Border)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support businesses that rely on off-grid energy with their energy costs.
Answered by Graham Stuart
I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer I gave my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan on 15th December 2022 to Question 105337.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Penrith and The Border)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2022 to Question 23820 on Fuel Oil: Price Caps, if he will publish his Department's assessment of the potential merits of introducing an energy price cap on heating oil.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government has carefully considered the introduction of a price cap to help domestic fuel customers with high fuel prices, however analysis indicates that a cap would not be in the long-term interests of consumers.