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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding has been allocated to the development of small modular reactors; what the spend is to date; what progress has been made against agreed milestones; and if he will make a statement.

The Government has awarded £18 million, match funded by industry, to the UK Small Modular Reactor (SMR) consortium for Phase 1 of a programme to develop an SMR in the UK. This is part of a greater bid into the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Approval will be sought for the remaining £215.5 million in Government grant funding (matched by industry) in due course.

As at 15 June, costs of £7 million of the £18 grant funding had been incurred. Phase 1 is due to complete in April 2021

Additionally, the Government has provided up to £7 million to regulators to build the capability and capacity needed to support and assess advanced nuclear technologies.