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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for meeting the UK's future energy needs following the recent cancellations of plans to build new nuclear power stations in Cumbria and Wales.

The Wylfa and Moorside projects were not due to be operational until the late 2020s, and there are a range of options for replacing this capacity over that time-frame. National Grid have said that there will be no issue with future security of supply as a result of these announcements, and that there is time for the market to react. Last year we procured over 3GW of offshore wind in a single Contract for Difference auction – at a price of £57.50 per megawatt hour. Both Wylfa and Moorside remain potential sites for nuclear new build under the current National Policy Statement, and myself and BEIS officials remain willing to meet with any viable proponents wishing to develop these sites. My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State will set out a new approach to financing new nuclear in the planned energy White Paper in the summer.