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Nuclear Industry

Thank you, Mr. Cook—I was momentarily elsewhere. I welcome this debate, which is long overdue. The Select Committee’s report and the Government response illustrate an impressive and encouraging degree of unanimity on some of the key issues facing the industry and new nuclear build. I agree with what the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Peter Luff) said about the Minister, who was indeed an excellent Energy Minister. I have had many in-depth conversations with him about the essential need for new nuclear generation and renewable generation in this country. I shall be brief, but I must declare an interest at the outset—or perhaps I should say 17,000 interests, because that is the number of jobs that the industry sustains in west Cumbria. It is a matter of fact that I, like many other Members here today, am an enthusiastic advocate of the industry. Indeed, there are currently five or six freedom of information requests against me about my links with the industry