HC Deb 16 May 1980 vol 984 cc737-8W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, in view of the fact that the economically usable reserves of uranium are only equal to one-fifth of the world reserves of petroleum, and will be exhausted long before the oil supplies are exhausted, he will review his nuclear power programme.

Mr. Norman Lamont

I am advised that known uranium resources are likely to be adequate to meet the lifetime requirements of all nuclear reactors likely to be operating in the world (outside centrally planned economies) at the end of the century.

I am satisfied that the procurement policies of the utilities should be appropriate to ensure adequate supplies of Uranium to the United Kingdom to meet the requirements of the programme I announced on 18 December 1979.