HC Deb 09 March 1987 vol 112 cc3-4
3. Mr. Jack Thompson

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received about the Government's long-term policy towards nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

The Secretary of State for Energy (Mr. Peter Walker)

I have received a number of letters, principally in relation to Sizewell B.

Mr. Thompson

The Secretary of State's response was very brief. Bearing in mind the fact that since the publication of the Sizewell B report, the chairman of the CEGB has said that he wants to press ahead with nuclear power stations in other parts of Britain, will the right hon. Gentleman carefully consider the folly of the proposition that a group of nuclear power stations should be built on a coastal strip of Northumberland, adjacent to a profitable and extensive coalfield and close to a coal-fired power station, which is owned by the CEGB and is ripe for coal-fired development?

Mr. Walker

From the statements by the CEGB chairman that I have seen, I know that he has mentioned the board's interest in new coal-fired stations. However, I have received only an application for Sizewell B and that is the only one on which I can comment.

Sir Trevor Skeet

Does my right hon. Friend agree that a PWR is urgent and would be competitive and timely as the only power station that is likely to be commissioned before 1995 when it will be required?

Mr. Walker

I cannot comment on such matters until I have made a decision on Sizewell B.

Mr. Dormand

Will the Secretary of State go further than he went in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wansbeck (Mr. Thompson) and address himself to the unemployment problem in the north-east? Productivity is greater than ever in our coalfield and it would be a suitable place for a coal-fired power station. I hope that the right hon. Gentleman accepts that it would be cheaper to build and run a coal-fired station than a nuclear power station.

Mr. Walker

I know that the hon. Gentleman appreciates that I cannot comment on his final point until I have made a decision on the report that I have received. I believe that the coal industry in the north-east has considerable importance for the future and I am pleased that the enterprise company is bringing new jobs to the region. I hope that that will be on an ever-increasing scale. I am certainly aware of the unemployment dimensions of the problem.

Dr. Michael Clark

Among all the representations about the future of nuclear power, has my right hon. Friend received any that point out the need to conserve hydrocarbon fuels, particularly as they will be chemical feedstocks in the future and will be a source of man-made fibres, fertilisers and plastics, as well as premium fuel for aviation use?

Mr. Walker

I have received representations on almost every aspect of energy and every possible use of energy. The factors mentioned by my hon. Friend deserve careful consideration.

Mr. Orme

The Secretary of State mentioned that the CEGB has been talking about new coal-fired power stations. Will he comment on reports in the press and elsewhere that the Treasury is very much opposed to that type of development?

Mr. Walker

I read with amazement the newspaper report that a debate was taking place between the Treasury and myself. No such debate was taking place.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

As the CEGB will be applying later this year to build a PWR at Hinkley Point in Somerset, will my right hon. Friend ensure that, while safety requirements must be rigorous, the planning inquiry will be more narrowly focused and that it will take less than a year to reach a conclusion?

Mr. Walker

As I have not been informed of any such application by the CEGB, I cannot comment on it. I know that people in Somerset or any other area will want the proper planning considerations to take place, and that should be done within a limited time scale, which gives enough time for objectors, but does not delay important decisions.