Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Bishop of Liverpool (Bishops (affiliation)). It was answered by Lord Truscott (Labour) on Thursday, 28 June 2007.

Environment: Nuclear Power Stations

Question: Whether they have undertaken an audit of the total environmental impact, including carbon emissions, of the building of the new range of nuclear power stations.

Answer: My Lords, if the Government confirm their preliminary view that industry should be allowed the option of investing in new nuclear power stations, we propose to undertake a strategic environmental assessment as part of a strategic siting assessment of potential locations for new nuclear build. The Government believe that, based on the significant evidence available, lifecycle carbon emissions from nuclear power stations are about the same as from wind generated electricity and greatly lower than carbon emissions from fossil fuel fired generation.

Secondary information