Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether he plans to implement proposals made by his Department's Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board in its recently published annual report for additional public money to be allocated to research, development and demonstration into (a) nuclear fuel fabrication, including in the development and manufacture of the next generation of safer, accident tolerant and more efficient nuclear fuels, (b) advanced reactor development, including into research and development in areas that aim to give UK companies a competitive edge in the design and manufacture of significant reactor components for small modular reactors and Generation IV reactors and (c) recycle and waste management, including into investment in research and development into advanced recycle and waste management technologies.

This is an important and ground breaking first report from the Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board, who are to be congratulated on the depth of their analysis. I very much welcome their work and the contribution it will make to the debate on where next for the UK nuclear industry.

Work is already on-going in respect to a number of the recommendations. In December last year Government announced up to £67million of capital to provide essential nuclear R&D infrastructure over the next 6 years.

In line with recommendations from NIRAB, the National Nuclear Laboratory and the Energy and Climate Change Committee, we are already undertaking more work to build our understanding of Small Modular Reactors and whether they can play a role in the UK’s future energy mix.

Other recommendations set out by the NIRAB speak to a sustained and longer-term programme of work and will therefore need to be considered as part of any future Government review of spending.