UK PM Blair "hasn't made up his mind" on nuclear: energy minister

London (Platts)--22Nov2005

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair "hasn't made up his mind" whether to start
building new nuclear power stations, contrary to newspaper reports, energy
minister Malcolm Wicks said in an interview on the BBC's "Newsnight" TV
program late Monday. Wicks denied reports in "The Times" newspaper Monday
morning that the UK's nuclear power program would be restarted under plans
backed by Tony Blair.
     According to the newspaper, Blair has decided that nuclear is the only
way to reduce carbon emissions while securing the country's energy future.
     "The position of the government and of Tony Blair is that we have got to
review these things," Wicks said. "I'm nuclear neutral on this and I think
that's the right way to be at the beginning of a review. I can assure you that
it's going to be an honest review, looking at the evidence. At the end we may
say 'yes' to nuclear but we may say 'no'."
     Wicks said there was a "realistic chance" that the government would not
plump for the nuclear option. But Norman Baker, environment spokesman for the
Liberal Democrat party, said Blair's position on the issue was clear.
     "Malcolm maybe nuclear neutral but the Prime Minister certainly isn't,
he's been trailing his pro-nuclear credentials for months now," Baker said in
the short debate. "(Science and innovation minister) Lord Sainsbury, all his
close advisors want nuclear."
     Wicks said the government remained "very committed to renewables," but
that they were not the answer to the UK's energy needs. "One of the problems
here, and Norman contributes to this, is that people think there is one silver
bullet and they pit the renewables lobby against the nuclear lobby." "The fact
of the matter is that we are going to need a mix of energy sources, and one of
the issues, that you are focusing on, is should nuclear be a part of that mix.
May be, may be not."

For more nuclear news, request a free trial to Platts Nucleonics Week at
http://www.platts.com/Request%20More%20Information/

Please visit: www.platts.com

Their coverage of energy matters is extensive!!.