§ 1. Mr. SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the amount of carbon dioxide that would be emitted by fossil fuel power stations equivalent to existing nuclear capacity.
§ The Secretary of State for Energy (Mr. John Wakeham)Britain would emit around 15.5 million tonnes more carbon if the electricity currently provided by existing nuclear power stations were to be generated by coal, increasing total United Kingdom emissions by nearly 10 per cent. The environmental benefits of nuclear power in this context are recognised in a joint declaration on nuclear co-operation, which I am issuing today with my counterparts in France, Germany and Belgium. I am placing copies of the declaration in the Library.
§ Mr. SquireI thank my right hon. Friend for that encouraging answer about co-operation. However, does not he find it astonishing, not merely on common-sense grounds, but on environmental grounds, that the Labour party is pledged to phase out nuclear power? Does he agree that that is idiotic and can lead only to environmental damage and a reduction of our present open choice of fuel?
§ Mr. WakehamMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. The declaration of the four Governments agrees that nuclear power can make a significant contribution to the solution of environmental problems associated with fossil-fuel power generation, such as global warming and acid rain. When we review nuclear power in 1994, it will be important to take such considerations into account.