Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Not Addressed
Regulatory system for nuclear energy insufficient to deliver government's ambitious pipeline.
Conclusion
In the last two decades, government has only agreed one nuclear project, at Hinkley Point C.18 The government is now creating Great British Nuclear to help it build capacity and expertise, and a regulatory regime aimed at expanding its nuclear pipeline and help it 7 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, 19 October 2021; Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, British Energy Security Strategy, 7 April 2022; HM Treasury, Net Zero Review: Analysis exploring the key issues, October 2021; HM Government, The Energy White Paper: Powering our net zero future, CP 337, December 2020; Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Ofgem, Transitioning to a net zero energy system: Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan, July 2021; Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, UK Hydrogen Strategy, CP 475, August 2021. 8 Q 68 9 Q 25; Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, Review of Electricity Market Arrangements: Summary of responses to consultation, March 2023; draft legislation 10 Qq 23, 28, 112 11 Qq 23, 27 12 Qq 24, 26–27, 109–110; C&AG’s Report paras 9–11 13 Climate Change Committee, Progress in reducing emissions: 2022 Report to Parliament, June 2022 14 Qq 23–27 15 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, 19 October 2021 16 Q 32 17 C&AG’s Report, Figure 2 18 C&AG’s Report, para 1.9 10 Decarbonising the power sector achieve its ambitions for this technology.19 We received written evidence from the Nuclear Industry Association that regulation and safety are at the heart of the sector, but that, the current system would not work efficiently or quickly enough to deliver government’s ambitions.20 These ambitions include overseeing the deployment of a mix of large ‘gigawatt’ stations such as Hinkley Point C (which is under construction and due to produce up to 3.2GW when it starts operating), and small modular reactors (so-called SMRs)
Government Response Summary
The government states it agrees with the recommendation and provides annual updates to Parliament through responses to the Climate Change Committee’s reports and other publications. The response does not address the committee's observation regarding the efficiency or speed of the nuclear regulatory system.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2023 2.2 The power sector is a key aspect of delivering Net Zero, and the department therefore provides annual updates to Parliament in the form of the government response to the Climate Change Committee’s annual Progress Reports. 2.3 These government responses, coupled with the various other more detailed publications the department produces on our plans for specific aspects of the power sector, are an opportunity to provide timely updates on progress towards achieving our objectives, and on the actions the government has taken to mitigate risks.