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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his policy is on the Government having full access to and use of technologies developed outside the UK and used in the construction of new nuclear power stations in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

It is for developers to bring forward new nuclear power stations in England and Wales; this includes procuring the technology. All developers must submit their full designs to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the Environment Agencies as part of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process: the GDA is the non-statutory system by which the UK’s independent nuclear regulators assess safety, security and environmental aspects of new reactor designs proposed for use in the UK. In addition, any organisation wishing to carry out prescribed nuclear activities must apply for, and be granted, a nuclear site licence. A site licence puts the licence holder under strict legal obligations and, importantly, gives specific regulatory powers to ONR to ensure the safe and secure construction, commissioning and operation of a nuclear site.