Oral Answers to Questions

Phillip Lee Excerpts

Thursday 1st November 2012 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[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.

[Dr Lee]

I thank the Secretary of State for his answer. Like him, I was pleased to hear about Hitachi’s investment. If Britain is to reach its low carbon targets and retain energy security in the longer term, nuclear energy remains the only credible solution. In view of the consequent need for significant investment in order to achieve that, would the Government consider investing in, say, Westinghouse, or purchasing Centrica’s share in what was British Energy, thereby reversing the remarkably short-sighted decisions of the previous Administration?

[Mr Davey]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his support. He is right to say that we need all forms of low carbon generation if we are to meet our demanding targets. I do not think that I am attracted by the idea of the state getting involved in the nationalised delivery of nuclear power. The conditions that we have set up mean that there will be a market-based approach.