Proceeding contribution from Phillip Lee (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 10 May 2011. It occurred during Debate on bill on Energy Bill [Lords].
Energy Bill [Lords]
I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention, but I do not know the answer to that question. This is just another example of how Scotland is different from England, and I am getting somewhat frustrated by that. I will quickly move on to new nuclear technologies. First, molten salt reactors eat nuclear waste and have no proliferation concerns. That is a no-brainer, so how come we are not pursuing it? Finally, I will talk about thorium, which is found in the cliffs of Cornwall and may well be in the hon. Gentleman's constituency. It is also found in Wales. The greatest resource is in Norway, a relatively stable country compared with the countries that we get most of our energy from. Thorium is three times more abundant than uranium and does not produce any dangerous waste. Incidentally, that is why it was not pursued in the '50s because it does not create the plutonium needed for nuclear weapons. China is now going big time on this, as is India. How come we are not? It strikes me as an obvious thing for us to go for. Doing so may satisfy my Liberal Democrat colleagues because it is safer to produce and does not produce any nuclear waste of note. It has certainly satisfied me because we can source thorium more easily. In conclusion, at a time when Britain has significant economic challenges, finding ways to save energy is an obvious target. The green deal is fantastic for families, fantastic for individuals, and fantastic for businesses. That is why I am pleased to support the Bill. I hope that the Minister will give some thought to what I have said about energy generation.
Secondary information
- Type
- Proceeding contribution
- Reference
- 527 c1088
- Session
- 2010-12
- Chamber / Committee
- House of Commons chamber
- Subjects
- Consumers Decommissioning Conservation Business Climate change Billing Housing Environment protection Energy Electricity generation Energy supply Electricity Fuel poverty Heating Interest rates Warm front scheme Local government Protection Nuclear power stations Loans Meters Prices Private rented housing Standards Reform Renewable energy Carbon emissions
- Legislation
- Energy Bill (HL) 2010-12
- Link
- View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk
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- 2023-12-15 16:26:28 +0000
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