Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the potential risk that the development of Hinkley Point C power station may cause a shortage of nuclear engineering skills at Devonport dockyard.

A detailed assessment has been carried out of future skills needs for the civil nuclear new build programme, including the Hinkley Point C development. That assessment, carried out by skills bodies on behalf of the Nuclear Industry Council, included input from Ministry of Defence (MoD), who are members of that Council.

The relevant departments – Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), Energy & Climate Change (DECC), Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Work & Pensions (DWP) – are working with industry to ensure that a coordinated approach is taken to meeting future skills demand, including for engineers in both the civil and defence sectors.