Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to maximise the role of UK-based supply chains in the (a) development and (b) delivery of innovative Small Modular Reactor projects.

Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) has selected Rolls-Royce SMR as its preferred bidder to partner with to build the UK’s first small modular reactors (SMRs), subject to final government approvals and contract signature.

It is expected that an SMR project could power the equivalent of up to 3 million of today’s homes and support up to 3,000 jobs at peak construction.

Further details will follow in due course, but the government's long-term ambition is to bring forward one of Europe's first SMR fleets, with GBE-N's ambition being to deliver over 70% UK content across the fleet which could benefit communities right across the country.