New government won’t scrap nuclear power plan

THE new coalition government will not scrap plans to build new nuclear power stations, but public money will not foot the bill, new energy secretary Chris Huhne has said.

Under plans revealed by the previous Labour government the North West was set to play a major part in the UK’s new nuclear future.

Three locations in Cumbria – Braystones, Sellafield and Kirksanton and one in Lancashire at Heysham were on the approved list of suitable sites.

The Liberal Democrats – coalition partners in David Cameron’s new government are opposed to nuclear power, unlike the Conservatives.

When one of the party’s key figures, Chris Huhne, was handed the energy brief, fears began to grow that the nuclear programme would be scrapped.

But Mr Huhne said that despite the differences between the coalition partners, there is still a future for the industry.

Under the terms of the coalition deal published on Wednesday, Lib Dem MPs can abstain in any Commons votes on nuclear power but will not be able to bring down the government over it in a confidence vote.

The Lib Dems have argued that renewable energy should take priority over nuclear – but Mr Huhne suggested there was little real difference with the Conservatives on the main issue of whether the public should subsidise the building new plants.

He told the BBC: “There is absolutely no disagreement between us on the key principle that there will be no public subsidy.

“Now, if it turns out that – for the first time in decades – a consortium is prepared to build a nuclear power station without public subsidy, then… that will, in all probability, go ahead.

“But I do think there are a lot of ifs there and I do think this is a way forward which allows the integrity of the Conservative and of the Liberal Democrat positions to be maintained.”