Energy Policy: Nuclear Power

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 4:24 pm on 16 February 2006.

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Photo of Lord Jenkin of Roding Lord Jenkin of Roding Conservative 4:24, 16 February 2006

My Lords, in the two or three minutes before our time runs out, I express my very warm thanks to all those who took part in the debate. It has been a worthwhile debate, with a lot of extremely valid points being made. There can be little doubt that we have made some progress when the noble Lord, Lord Redesdale, has finally agreed that the nuclear issue has to be examined. What one of my noble friends in an earlier debate called the Liberal Democrat Party's "Clause 4 moment" may have arrived.

I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Davies of Oldham, for his answers to my questions. He said two things, one of which greatly encouraged me. He said that the issue of waste will be settled this year. We shall want to hold the Government to that. He also said that the review does not change the principles on which we are conducting energy policy. If it does not, the review is simply not worthwhile.

Perhaps I may quote one sentence from the stack of evidence I used in preparation for this debate. It states:

"Current investor uncertainty in key issues such as Government future targets for carbon dioxide emission reduction is inhibiting new build".

Unless the Government set a long-term consistent policy on carbon, everything else will fall by the wayside. I hope that the Minister may have taken that message home.

I thank all noble Lords and extend congratulations to the two maiden speakers and I hope that we shall hear them again, particularly the noble Lord, Lord Turnbull. He was offered eight minutes and managed to do it in four. That is an example which the rest of us should be prepared to follow. I beg leave to withdraw the Motion for Papers.