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Energy Bill

I am grateful to all noble Lords who have spoken to the amendment and to the noble Baroness for having introduced it. She triggered off exactly the debate that I think she anticipated and hoped for about our preparations for the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. It took on board the point which the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, emphasised: the crucial role of safety in these developments. We are certainly not complacent about this issue. We recognise companies’ concerns about the assessment process. Steps are being taken to resolve the issue. I assure the Committee that the Government and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate are committed to continuing to improve the recruitment and retention of inspectors where possible. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, who generously said that there had been a pay increase to encourage greater recruitment of inspectors. He has been zealous over many years in emphasising the interim period before the decision on the development of new nuclear power.