Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 20 November 2018.
Alan Brown
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Transport), Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Energy)
12:00,
20 November 2018
What steps he is taking to ensure that value for money is achieved from energy generated from proposed new nuclear power stations.
Richard Harrington
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
As the Secretary of State said in his statement to the House on
Alan Brown
Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Transport), Shadow SNP Spokesperson (Energy)
The National Audit Office has already confirmed that Hinkley Point C was a bad deal. Half the existing nuclear power stations will have closed by 2024 and the rest by 2028, and no nuclear power stations can be built in time to replace them. Why are the UK Government tying up energy policy for the next 50 years in deals that are poor value for money?
Richard Harrington
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
As far as I know, the hon. Gentleman and his party are against nuclear power altogether, so his is an interesting question. The Government, on the other hand, are committed to a diverse energy mix in which nuclear power plays a crucial part. Nuclear power is critical to our transmission to a low-carbon society, providing continuous, reliable, low-carbon electricity. We are also leaders in cutting emissions by renewables, and nearly 30% of our electricity comes from renewable sources.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.