Not multiple choice

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Wednesday, 06 December 2006

“10 years ago I parked the issue of nuclear power. Today, I believe without it, we are going to face an energy crisis and we can’t let that happen.” The Prime Minister’s words in his last speech at the Labour Party Conference in September 2006 came amid much speculation about the future direction and leadership of the Labour Party, but on nuclear Mr Blair showed conviction. He also tackled the Conservative Party’s ‘last resort’ policy on nuclear saying, “It’s not a multiple choice quiz question”. Malcolm Wicks MP, Energy Minister, detailed how policy will be facilitated in an NIA fringe meeting at the Labour Party Conference.He highlighted the key areas being reviewed by the Government in their consultation document ‘The Energy Challenge’; these areas are mainly planning regulation, licensing issues, and carbon pricing, which apply to all large infrastructure energy projects, not exclusively to nuclear. The consultation closes at the end of October and NIA and its member companies are coordinating an industry submission. Environment Minister, Ian Pearson MP, speaking on the platform alongside Mr Wicks at the NIA event, felt that the radioactive waste management issue must be dealt with urgently and called for swift action from Government in response to the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM)’s report. this month. In a Trade and Industry Select Committee hearing in mid-October, Malcolm Wicks said, “next year”, when questioned on a specific timescale for an Energy White Paper, but whispers around Whitehall suggest we could expect publication as late as March 2007. A new pre-licensing regime is to be announced soon after this; good news for NIA members AREVA, designers of the EPR reactor design, Westinghouse, designers of the AP1000 who have just been acquired by Toshiba, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), who are promoting the CANDU design. Energy issues topped the agenda at the Labour Party Conference, and NIA attracted plenty of support at this and the other conferences with hugely successful activities. NIA representatives even shared a joke with one of the people in the media spotlight at Labour Conference, the Prime Minister’s wife, Cherie Blair, as well as meeting many other Ministers and key policy makers in Government, such as Ed Balls MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Rooker, Minister of State for DEFRA, Barry Gardiner MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for DEFRA and Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks MP. Environment Minister Ian Pearson addresses the NIA fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference with Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks and Jamie Reed MP

 

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