HC Deb 13 November 1989 vol 160 cc100-1W
43. Mr. Day

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of how many jobs in the United Kingdom depend on the nuclear power industry.

59. Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of how many jobs in the United Kingdom depend on nuclear power.

Mr. Michael Spicer

I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Hannam) on 26 June 1989 at columns 688–89.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what evaluation he has made of the long-term future of the new nuclear company.

Mr. Wakeham

The nuclear company has an assured and long future as the operator of the CEGB's present Magnox and AGR stations. As I said in my statement to the House on 9 November, it should be possible, subject to the views of the nuclear installations inspectorate, for the lifetimes of at least some of the Magnox stations to be extended. The AGRs have many years ahead of them. The company will also have responsibility for building and operating Sizewell B, which will still be generating power 40 years from now. The successful completion and operation of that station will also enable the company to maintain the option to build further PWRs in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what were the latest figures for the cost of nuclear power and nuclear decommissioning quoted by the Central Electricity Generating Board at the Sizewell B and Hinkley Point C inquiries respectively.

Mr. Wakeham

Figures given to the Hinkley Point C public inquiry on the cost of nuclear power—for differing economic cases—are set out in CEGB 4 Addendum 5. CEGB 7 Addendas 7 and 8 cover the costs of construction. Figures for decommissioning are also available in CEGB 4 and CEGB 11.

Material tabled at the Sizewell B inquiry—which closed in March 1985—has been overtaken by that given to the Hinkley inquiry.

I am arranging for copies of the above to be placed in the Libraries of the House.