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Security of Supply

I am sure that we are already buying nuclear energy from France through the interconnector, so the issue is of some importance to the United Kingdom. I have been impressed by the work done on new designs. I suggest that the hon. Member for Barnsley, Central considers the OECD report, which compares and contrasts the full life costs—capital, running and decommissioning costs—of a range of new models of nuclear reactor. Even in Finland, the price of electricity generated from new nuclear reactors is comparable with that generated from gas and coal, considerably cheaper than wind, solar and micro-hydro power and cheaper than combined heat and power. That is a significant difference from the old days when we built nuclear power stations that were unable to cover their full costs without public subsidy. It is worth remembering that while Magnox power stations account for £13 billion of the £56 billion costs of Britain’s nuclear legacy, our advanced gas–cooled reactors and pressurised water reactors are already covering their decommissioning costs in terms of their fuel and sites.