§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out the basis for the statement at paragraph 19.16 of the report on sustainable development, page 133, that nuclear power provides a source of energy free from the pollutants that contribute towards global warming.
§ Mr. McLoughlinAn analysis of the effect on global warming of nuclear power as well as other fuels is set out in the report "The Impact of UK Electricity, Gas and Oil Use on Global Warming" by N. J. Eyre and L. A. Michaelis of the energy technology support unit, published in 1991.
This report sets out greenhouse gas emissions for a range of fuel cycles including different forms of electricity generation. The report covers for the electricity fuel cycles the extraction, processing, transport, generation, distribution and utilisation by final user. Even taking into account these aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, the emissions of greenhouse gases are very low.
I have arranged for copies of this report to be placed in the Library of the House.
811W