Clause 41
Energy Bill
2:45 pm
Stephen Ladyman (South Thanet, Labour)
I gave my hon. Friend advance notice that when we came to this chapter, I would probe him on the rather draconian attitude that it seems to be taking. Will he explain, either now or later, what the final sentence clause 41(5) means? It states,
“and for the purposes of paragraph (a) a nuclear installation is not to be regarded as being operated at a time when it is being decommissioned.”
As something that is being operated cannot be decommissioned, that seems an unnecessary statement. Does that imply that the decommissioning programme has to include the long-term storage of the waste and the results of decommissioning a power plant, and for how long does the decommissioning programme have to allow for that waste to be stored?