Clause 49
Energy Bill
4:43 pm
Martin Horwood (Shadow Minister (Environment), Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Cheltenham, Liberal Democrat)
As I was saying, all Governments are inclined to dodge difficult debates and questions sometimes, as is the case with referendums and the updating of council tax valuations. In the fullness of time, the Secretary of State might not exactly rush to the Dispatch Box to explain how things are getting along if funded decommissioning programmes become somewhat controversial and Members, perhaps from my party, suggest that the programmes are not working as well as they might— that is pretty likely, given the history of the nuclear industry.
The Minister’s adviser, Dr. Higson, suggested in evidence that there would be a specific time period. Replying to me, he said:
“there is provision for that in the Bill through regular monitoring and quinquennial reviews”.——[Official Report, Energy Public Bill Committee, 19 February 2008; c. 116, Q228.]
That was an eloquent way of saying that we should have a review every five years, but I have struggled to find that in the Bill. Amendment No. 46 specifically states that that may occur
“at any time and at least once every five years”.
We are therefore hoping to hold the Government to their stated promise to review funded decommissioning programmes every five years, and that seems to us to be the least that will be required.