Pressurised Water Reactors (Hansard, 12 May 1986)

§ 15. Mr. Proctor
asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the progress towards the introduction of pressurised water reactors in the United Kingdom.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy (Mr. Alastair Goodlad)
The CEGB's application to construct a pressurised water reactor at Sizewell has been the subject of a public inquiry. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy will reach a decision on the application as soon as possible once he has the inspector's report.

§ Mr. Proctor
To reassure public opinion, does my hon. Friend think that it would be a good idea, between the submission of the inspector's report on Sizewell and a final decision being made by the Government, for a full parliamentary debate to be held?

§ Mr. Goodlad
The holding of a parliamentary debate is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House and the usual channels. I shall draw my hon. Friend's remarks to their attention.

§ Mr. Campbell-Savours
Instead of investing in a pressurised water reactor, will the Government consider reopening the arguments over tidal barrages, and especially the scheme for the Solway Firth, which would have provided for the production at peak demand of 1,400 Mw? Would that not be a far better way of investing public money? I do not expect an immediate answer on the Solway barrier scheme, but will the Minister at least take it off the shelf, dust it down and re-examine the arguments that were employed 20 years ago?

§ Mr. Goodlad
Any decision on the PWR must await the outcome of the Sizewell inquiry. I shall consider the issue of the Solway Firth barrage.

§ Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
Will my hon. Friend make it clear that the Chernobyl reactor contained graphite moderators, which are not present in PWRs? Does he agree that the sequence of disasters that led to the release of radioactivity at Chernobyl could not occur in a PWR?

§ Mr. Goodlad
My hon. Friend is quite right. The Chernobyl reactor is a very different design from the proposed PWR at Sizewell and from reactors currently operated in Britain.