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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure the future of (a) Hartlepool and (b) other nuclear power stations.

Nuclear energy currently provides around 20% of the UK’s electricity needs, powering homes and businesses in this country for over 60 years. It will continue to have an important role to play in the UK’s energy future as we transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The UK’s existing fleet of eight nuclear power stations are owned and operated by EDF Energy, and we expect EDF to generate electricity from these stations for as long as it is economically viable and safe to do so.

Hartlepool is currently expected to operate until 2024. When EDF’s nuclear power stations come to the end of their generating life, they will need to be decommissioned, which will continue to provide jobs at the sites.

New nuclear projects in the UK are developer-led and it is for developers to decide whether or not to pursue building a nuclear power plant at a specific site.