Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 July 2013, WMS106 on New Nuclear Power Stations (Community Benefits) how much of the money distributed came from (a) additional funding and (b) existing sources of local authority revenue.

Community benefits are not paid to any new nuclear community until the new station starts generating. As set out in the 2013 Written Ministerial Statement, under the current policy community benefits would be paid in two phases: Firstly local authorities would retain a share of the business rates from the power station, up until the end of the decade in which it comes online. Thereafter, the remaining balance of the community benefit package would be paid directly from central government.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government are making changes to business rates retention policy and the Department is engaged with them to understand the potential implications for the delivery mechanism for community benefits.