Energy Efficiency

Debate between Tobias Ellwood and Nia Griffith

Wednesday 30th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Ellwood]

I actually agree with the hon. Lady, whom I very much welcome to the Chamber. She will add an awful lot to these, and indeed other, debates. The Labour Government left nuclear power very late, but what she said does not mean that we should not build nuclear power stations. I guess that she is not in favour of nuclear power, and I am reluctant, too, but she might agree that we should invest in and study nuclear fusion, rather than nuclear fission, because nuclear fusion is the utopia that we have been looking for. Everyone says, “Oh, it will happen 25 years from now,” but they were saying that 25 years ago. If we fully grasped that technology, we would not need the nasty side of nuclear fission, which leaves all the radioactive mess for future generations. Nuclear fusion is very much the way forward.

[Nia Griffith]

Will the hon. Gentleman please list all the investment in power stations between 1979 and 1997? He will find that his list is extremely short.