§ Lord Jenkin of Rodingasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the United Kingdom is represented, and, if so, at what level, on the Generation IV International Forum for the discussion of the next generation of nuclear electricity generating plants; and how the deliberations and recommendations of the forum are contributing to the Government's policy of keeping the nuclear option open. [HL3402]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)The UK with eight other countries joined the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) in July 2001. The initiative foresaw a need for advanced nuclear energy systems in the future to help meet growing international demands for carbon free energy; and that to meet public concerns, future systems wherever deployed must meet exceptionally high standards of safety, sustainability and proliferation resistance, while operating economically in liberalised markets. The aim is to develop a framework for collaborative R&D on Generation IV reactor systems that could be deployed from around 2030. UK participation in the charter is without commitment to building a Generation IV design in the UK.
Senior representatives from DTI, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and industry participate in GIF policy and expert groups. They ensure that UK nuclear technology and regulatory experience can be shared internationally and that DTI ministers and senior energy officials are kept fully apprised of the work of the forum.
It will be for the Health and Safety Executive (with the approval of the Health and Safety Commission) to decide the appropriate level of the HSE's Nuclear 111WA Installations Inspectorate's involvement with any emerging research programmes relating to possible deployment of new designs in the UK in both the medium and long term.
§ Lord Jenkin of Rodingasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will set out the level of spending by the Department of Trade and Industry on research and development on innovations in the nuclear generation of electricity over the three years 2000–03, and the level of such expenditure planned for the next three years. [HL3404]
§ Lord Sainsbury of TurvilleDTI-funded research into innovative fission reactors stopped in 1994 with the cessation of the fast reactor programme. No expenditure for research in this area is included in current DTI spending plans for the next three years. DTI funding is reviewed annually and support for research on innovative fission reactor systems will next be considered as part of the 2004 spending review, which covers the period 2005–08.
It is expected that there will be opportunities over the next three years for researchers from industry and academia to receive funding for international collaboration on fission innovative reactors through the European Union's Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP6 Euratom) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) SUPERGEN Programme.
DTI provides funding in the region of £16 million a year for the fusion energy research.
§ Lord Jenkin of Rodingasked Her Majesty's Government:
What nuclear research and development they are providing to enable both the nuclear industry and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate to assess the merits of the new generation of nuclear plants, such as the advanced passive design reactors and the pebble bed modular high temperature reactors. [HL3406]
§ Lord Sainsbury of TurvilleThe assessment of new designs of nuclear plant, including the advanced passive designs and the pebble bed modular high temperature reactors, relies mainly on engaging existing knowledge/technology and is, in the first instance, a commercial matter for the nuclear industry.
It is for the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate to decide on what research should be undertaken to equip it to assess the merits as regards safety of designs of proposed new nuclear plant.