Nuclear Power Plans May Well Cost the Earth

12.00.00am GMT Wed 9th Jan 2008

A new generation of nuclear power stations will cost the UK's taxpayers billions of pounds

MP for Manchester Withington, John Leech, today slammed the announcement that Gordon Brown's Cabinet has unanimously given the go-ahead to the development of a new generation of nuclear power stations.

John Leech MP stated:

"Nuclear power is extremely costly and contentious."

"We should instead be concentrating our efforts on renewable forms of energy and sever our dependence on fossil fuels. Nuclear power is simply not necessary. Renewables can provide us the energy we require."

"The government tell us that there will be new nuclear power stations built, but we are not told how they will be paid for or how nuclear waste will be efficiently disposed of."

The Liberal Democrats have continued to voice their opposition to the building of any new nuclear power generation capacity in the UK, instead campaigning for more funding for renewable energy projects and a shift in emphasis to the promotion of energy efficiency.

The Liberal Democrats also call for a change in the current taxation system, instead rewarding individuals who minimise their Carbon footprint.

End

Notes to Editors:

1. Currently, it would take 17 years to build a new nuclear power plant.

Even if the government changes the planning and safety rules, it will take at least 12 years.

2. The disposal of nuclear waste will continue to trouble nuclear power plans. The CoRWM committee said that although deep storage was the best solution available for existing waste, it may take many years to find a site acceptable to the public. The claims that new nuclear power stations produce less waste are unfounded.

3. The UK should aim to find an energy solution that could work as a model for other countries. Given that civil and military uses of nuclear are closely linked, putting pressure on foreign powers to limit their nuclear programmes and halt nuclear weapons proliferation becomes significantly easier once it is proved that civil nuclear power is not needed.

4. 'New nuclear power will only be possible with vast taxpayer subsidies or a rigged market. A new generation of nuclear power stations will cost taxpayers and consumers tens of billions of pounds. Every UK citizen is already paying over £1500 to clean up the nuclear waste of the last 50 years.' Factcheck: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7174899.stm

5. For more information about the Liberal Democrats' commitment to climate change solution and proposals for energy efficiency, please visit:

http://www.libdems.org.uk/environment/