Don’t risk our nuclear industry, plead MPs
MPs warned yesterday that the Government must act quickly to protect the nuclear industry in the wake of the Brexit vote.
The all-party Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee said the UK will have to leave the EU-wide body which sets standards and offers a market for nuclear power.
But any interval between quitting the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and entering into a secure alternative arrangement “would severely inhibit nuclear trade and research and threaten power supplies”.
The MPs said the continued operation of nuclear power, which supplies about 20 per cent of the UK’s electricity, has faced uncertainty since the decision to break free from Brussels.
Tariffs
They called for the UK to remain in the Internal Energy Market, with no accompanying tariffs or barriers to trade. And they said Brexit must not distract the Government from delivering essential climate change policies.
Labour MP Iain Wright, the committee’s chairman, said: “The impact of Brexit on Euratom has not been thought through. The Government has failed to consider the potentially severe ramifications of its Brexit objectives for the nuclear industry.
“Ministers must act as urgently as possible. The repercussions of failing to do so are huge. The continued operations of the UK nuclear industry are at risk. The Government now has a responsibility to end the uncertainty hanging over the industry and ensure robust and stable arrangements to protect trade, boost research and development, and ensure safeguarding of the highest level.”
He added: “In the short term, the Government should seek to avoid disruption to the energy sector and domestic climate change agenda.
“Government needs to provide as much clarity and stability as possible to support investment and avoid damaging UK competitiveness and adversely affecting consumers. In the long-term, the UK must maintain standards and seek to retain our influence.”
The report was backed by Justin Bowden, national officer of the GMB union, who said: “The latest stark warning about Euratom and the Brexit approach to nuclear power yet again emphasises our Government’s lack of anything that could be called a coherent energy policy.
“Nuclear, particularly new nuclear, and the zero carbon power it produces, is crucial to the UK’s future energy needs.
“In a world outside of the European Union, energy self-sufficiency is commonsense and nuclear, alongside gas, will be fundamental in that reliable mix.
“Decisive action must take place now. The electorate will not forgive politicians of any political party who fail in their duty to maintain the electricity supply.”
Due to the General Election the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy could not comment on the report, which will be responded to formally by the next government.
Energy
Business Secretary Greg Clark last month told the committee there are several energy areas in which engagement with the EU is “very important”.
He highlighted the single energy market which allows the UK to access power generated on the Continent and vice versa and said Britain needs to make sure it has “the right level of skilled individuals which the energy industry depends on”. He described Euratom as “an important area”.
And he told the committee: “It is in all our interests, self-evidently, to maintain the strength of our relationship on energy with our European neighbours and friends.”