Oral Answers to Questions

Sajid Javid Excerpts

Thursday 24th March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

8. What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the nuclear safety regime in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

[Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove) (Con)]

11. What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the nuclear safety regime in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

[The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Chris Huhne)]

The International Atomic Energy Agency integrated regulatory review service—IRRS—recently noted that the UK has a mature and transparent regulatory system, an advanced review process, and highly trained, expert and experienced nuclear inspectors. Nevertheless, we take the recent unprecedented events in Japan extremely seriously, and I have asked the chief nuclear inspector, Dr Mike Weightman, to provide a report to the Government on the implications and the lessons to be learned for the UK nuclear industry.

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Huhne]

As my hon. Friend knows, the coalition Government’s plans clearly envisage an important role for nuclear. We aim to bring the first new nuclear on stream for 2018. It is our view that new nuclear can play an important part, and unless Dr Weightman’s report gives us any particular reason to reassess that, I see no reason why that should not remain our view.

[Sajid Javid]

There are undoubtedly lessons to learn from the tragedy unfolding in Japan, and I am pleased that my right hon. Friend says we will learn them. Nevertheless, does he agree that the only realistic way we can meet the expected huge increase in domestic demand for energy is through the domestic production of nuclear power?

[Chris Huhne]

As I have just said, our plans clearly envisage an important role for new nuclear. When people visit the departmental website, they can access an interesting pathways model called “My2050”, which allows them to see the effort that would have to be made if we did not have nuclear. We would have to make enormously greater efforts on both renewables and carbon capture and storage. That is physically possible, but the costs would be very substantial.