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Energy: Draft National Policy Statement for Nuclear Power Generation (EN-6)

My Lords, I am advised by the Registrar of Lords’ Interests that it would be safer to declare my association with Imperial College than not to. I therefore declare that I am a governor of Imperial College. I apologise for not having done so on 23 February. This has been a very interesting debate, as was the previous debate. Much has been said in the consideration of the draft policy statement. Rather than repeat the issues which have been explored around the Room, I shall keep my remarks brief. I thank my noble friends Lord Jenkin, Lord Cope, Lord Dixon-Smith and even Lord Reay. I thank the noble Lord, Lord Broers, in particular, for sharing his concerns on the legacy issues and the continuing need for a strong research base—well, I would say that; I have already declared my interest. I even enjoyed the spirited defence by the noble Lord, Lord O’Neill, of his party’s dithering. I hope that he will not beat me up for the few words that I shall now say. I agree with my noble friend Lord Dixon-Smith about the time that it has taken the Government to get to this stage. At every stage of the process, we have had to push to take the necessary decisions and implement the necessary legislative framework. The draft statement is an important step along the way, but it is late in the day and is certainly not sufficient, given the position in which we will find ourselves when the current generation of nuclear power stations come to the end of their lives. The Government’s indecision on nuclear power will have huge consequences. Last year, figures were released showing that the Government were predicting power cuts from 2017, starting with a shortfall of 3,000 megawatt hours a year and rising to 7,000 megawatt hours by 2025. We seem to be back in the 1970s. We have an enormous government deficit, public sector strikes and, now, government-sanctioned power cuts. I hope that the Minister will tell us whether this assessment still stands. Are the Government still expecting power cuts between 2017 and 2025? The draft statement makes a nod towards the need for early deployment of new power stations. How many of the 10 sites might end up being developed under this fast-track process? Will any of the next-generation power stations be completed before the lights start to go out? I join my noble friend Lord Jenkin in asking whether the Government are confident that 10 sites will be developed by 2025. What contingency plans have they put in place if there are further delays or obstacles in the application or building process? One source of delay that can be identified in advance is the possibility of court action taken by those who oppose nuclear build in its entirety against a planning decision to green-light an application. The Government’s refusal to take responsibility for any major planning decision will only play into the hands of those seeking to delay any building until it is considered too expensive to continue. The chair of the Law Society's Planning and Environmental Law Committee, Mr David Brock QC, said in an evidence session in another place: ""I would have thought it almost inevitable that somebody would have a go using judicial review … It seems to me that if we are trying to get the policy in place in a short timeframe that is something that must be addressed and considered"." I urge the Government to accept the Conservative policy of ensuring parliamentary approval for national policy statements to remove the risk of vastly increased costs and timelines from such court cases. Challenges against the necessary planning decisions, whether through the courts or the IPC’s decision-making process, can be reduced by making a clear statement early on about just what is expected from those making an application. The costs and safety issues of decommissioning and waste management are of course critical, as is the impact on the local and wider environment. Will the Minister guarantee that applications will be assessed rigorously to ensure that all costs will be met by the commercial partner and not the taxpayer? Opposition to development can also be countered by genuine engagement with local concerns and sensitivities. Indeed, given the high level of local popularity that existing power stations tend to enjoy, any sudden surge in opposition should be looked at very closely to see what has gone wrong with the consultation process. As energy and environmental concerns have grown over the past 15 years, we have consistently said that nuclear could have a place in the mix of energy supplies, as long as it is economically viable and does not require subsidy. The Government have taken a long time to get to the same position. It appears that they are still struggling to make the necessary commitments to future steps. With such short-sighted thinking, it is no surprise that the future of our energy sector is looking still so shaky. I hope very much that the continuing opposition to any sort of nuclear generation from the official view of the Benches to my left will not cause Labour’s commitment to nuclear power to wobble any more. Any further delay, I believe, would be disastrous to the energy security of our country.