HC Deb 09 February 1994 vol 237 cc271-2
5. Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will make a further announcement on the nuclear review.

Mr. Eggar

The Government will announce the terms of reference for the review and how it will be conducted as soon as possible.

Mr. Hughes

That is a helpful answer.

Given that the Prime Minister has recently gone on record stating his commitment to growth in the nuclear industry, how can a review of the nuclear industry carried out by the Government be anything other than a charade and a sham? Even if he cannot announce when we will have the review or what its terms of reference will be—all promised for last year—will the Minister at least tell us whether the Government will examine whether the industry is economically viable and environmentally acceptable and deal with the question of waste as well as the functioning of the industry? May we have some idea whether it will be a proper review, or will we have to go to the courts to get an independent adjudication, as Greenpeace and Lancashire county council did over THORP?

Mr. Eggar

I am always willing to accept praise from whatever source. I fully understand the hon. Gentleman's concern. I hope that it will not be too long before we can make an announcement including the terms of the review and the way in which it will be conducted. The way in which the hon. Gentleman enumerated the various different factors itself illustrates that it is most important to spend time getting the terms of reference absolutely right and to try to satisfy as many of the numerous interested parties as possible.

Mr. Whittingdale

Will my hon. Friend join me in welcoming the fact that work has started in the past week on a visitor centre at Bradwell power station in my constituency? Does he agree that such centres have a valuable role in spreading the message that nuclear power is one of the safest, most economic and most environmentally friendly forms of generation available?

Mr. Eggar

I do agree—[Laughter] It is necessary for the full facts about the benefits of nuclear power to be made available to the public. It is unfortunate that Labour Members simply laugh at the idea that members of the public should be fully briefed on all the facts in an objective way.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

Could Ministers help me with a little research on these matters? Could they ask their civil servants to research reports that there was an outbreak of leukaemia in West Cumbria during the second world war—40 years before the Sellafield plant opened?

Mr. Eggar

I am very interested to hear that from the hon. Gentleman. Of course, I shall find out whether there are any records of that and, if so, the implications of them.

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