Where the coalition stands on Nuclear Power
The coalition government agreement between the Conservative and Liberal Democrats states that
"We have agreed a process that will allow Liberal Democrats to maintain their opposition to nuclear power while permitting the government to bring forward the national planning statement for ratification by Parliament so that new nuclear construction becomes possible.
This process will involve:
■ The government completing the drafting of a national planning statement and putting it before Parliament;
■ Specific agreement that a Liberal Democrat spokesman will speak against the planning statement, but that Liberal Democrat MPs will abstain; and
■ Clarity that this will not be regarded as an issue of confidence."
Chris Huhne, the new energy secretary, conceded the coalition was internally divided on the issue of building new nuclear power stations, but said they had agreed such stations should not be built with any public subsidy.
If there was then a majority in parliament in favour of building such power stations on that basis, "then new nuclear will go ahead," Huhne said.
Even if Labour vote against new nuclear build - and I can think of at least one Labour MP who would lost not just his seat but his deposit at the next election if he did that - the promised Lib/Dem abstention will be enough to ensure that the National Policy Statement goes through.
"We have agreed a process that will allow Liberal Democrats to maintain their opposition to nuclear power while permitting the government to bring forward the national planning statement for ratification by Parliament so that new nuclear construction becomes possible.
This process will involve:
■ The government completing the drafting of a national planning statement and putting it before Parliament;
■ Specific agreement that a Liberal Democrat spokesman will speak against the planning statement, but that Liberal Democrat MPs will abstain; and
■ Clarity that this will not be regarded as an issue of confidence."
Chris Huhne, the new energy secretary, conceded the coalition was internally divided on the issue of building new nuclear power stations, but said they had agreed such stations should not be built with any public subsidy.
If there was then a majority in parliament in favour of building such power stations on that basis, "then new nuclear will go ahead," Huhne said.
Even if Labour vote against new nuclear build - and I can think of at least one Labour MP who would lost not just his seat but his deposit at the next election if he did that - the promised Lib/Dem abstention will be enough to ensure that the National Policy Statement goes through.
Comments