The House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
is today publishing the Government response to its Report on
Delivering Nuclear Power for the
UK.
Commenting on the Government response, Committee Chair Rt Hon
said:
“Most welcome in this response is that the Government has agreed
to the Committee’s main recommendation and will set out the
practical roadmap to reaching its extremely stretching target of
bringing 24 gigawatts of nuclear-powered electricity to the grid
by 2050 - and that it will produce this credible plan by the end
of this year.
“The announcement last week confirming greater investment in the
UK’s promising nuclear fusion sector, as we recommended, is also
heartening.
“The key question facing the Government is whether new nuclear
power generation will offer value for money for bill payers and
taxpayers, particularly in the light of the decision to cancel
much of the HS2 project on value for money grounds.
“In its response to our Report, the Government notes that it is
currently satisfied of the “potential” of the Government’s
preferred approach to financing the capital costs of Sizewell C
to offer value for taxpayers’ money. It also notes that a value
for money assessment will be published alongside any future
investment decision by ministers.
“The Committee understands that if a deal is reached it will be
after a period of confidential negotiations. But the scale of the
financial commitment on behalf of future generations is such that
its value for money must be able to be scrutinised by Parliament
before it is a done deal. The Committee calls for the Government
to commit to publish the full terms of a financial deal in time
to allow the National Audit Office to advise Parliament on its
value for money, before it is signed by ministers.”/ENDS
