Dame (South Northamptonshire)
(Con):...The Chancellor is also absolutely right to focus on
R&D and science. He gave very impressive statistics on the
UK’s performance in a globally competitive environment.
Certainly, our progress is strong. When I was Secretary of State
for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, I met amazing
businesses in space technology and cutting-edge life sciences, as
well as in nuclear. I visited the brilliant fusion project at
Culham, and worked with the Rolls-Royce-led
consortium in small modular reactors. I absolutely applaud the
Chancellor’s commitment to nuclear, as well as to carbon capture,
usage and storage. The big challenge of our age is keeping the
lights on, keeping the cost of bills down and decarbonising. We
cannot do any one of those things on their own; we have to keep
that energy trilemma in balance. That is the critical challenge
of our age...
(Amber Valley)
(Con):...Finally, I welcome the announcements on nuclear. I
remember Rolls-Royce in
Derby being very keen on small modular reactors about six or
seven years ago. Could we please order some so that we can show
the world that we can make that technology work and that we are
committed to it? I hope that, by the time we get to the next
Budget, we will actually have bought one. Then we can really go
full steam ahead on these things.
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