§ 18. Sir Trevor SkeetTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the number of people employed in Britain's nuclear energy industry.
§ Mr. WakehamThe total number of people directly employed in the British nuclear energy industry is about 40,000.
§ Sir Trevor SkeetDoes the Secretary of State recognise that unless he is prepared to bring the review of the nuclear industry forward to 1993, he will be faced with a declining nuclear industry? Does he regard with any great satisfaction the fact that France has 75 per cent. of its total electricity produced by the nuclear industry, while Belgium produces 60 per cent. by that method? Why cannot we have a comparable figure of electricity production from our nuclear industry?
§ Mr. WakehamThe answer to that question goes back to long before I was Secretary of State; others must bear a share of the responsibility.
My hon. Friend has asked me to bring the 1994 review forward. I am sorry, but I do not believe that that would be the right course of action. I believe that 1994 is the correct time to review the future of the nuclear industry of this country because we will then have completed the Sizewell B project and we will have had an opportunity to consider the various options for the future. The nuclear industry has a good future if it is able to produce electricity at a low cost, and safely.