Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether small modular reactors will be commercially insurable against nuclear radiation events.

Under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, operators of nuclear licensed sites are required to have sufficient financial coverage to ensure compensation would be available in the unlikely event of a nuclear incident.

Most operators secure this coverage through nuclear insurance. These are commercial arrangements between operators and insurers. Small modular reactor operators could seek such arrangements in the same manner as other nuclear projects.

In the event that commercially available cover is unattainable, the Secretary of State can make provision for financial security under such terms it considers appropriate. This can be used to ensure there are no gaps in cover.