Speeches by Collinge.

“My question continues on the theme of proportionality. The UK nuclear sector is meant to operate under the “as low as reasonably practicable” principle, but we have heard evidence that the practicable bit sometimes gets a bit lost. I want to start on the environment with you, Andy. The Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce foun…”

“Mustafa, I want to talk about both safety and environmental risk. The public obviously have views about safety, risk and environmental benefits, and they do not necessarily have a huge amount of knowledge about the nuclear sector in particular. Are you concerned that reduction or changes to regulatory control could pot…”

“I want to move on to my favourite subject, the semi-urban population density criteria. EN-7 retained the semi-urban population density criteria, despite the fact that it was created in the 1960s, it was based on technology we no longer use and it does not have the decades of operational and safety data that we now have…”

“I live in Heysham.”

“Finally, Paul and Andy, do we think regulators have the capability, expertise and resources to regulate these emerging technologies—SMRs and AMRs are new technologies—and can we do that in a proportionate and effective way?”

“My question continues on the theme of proportionality. The UK nuclear sector is meant to operate under the “as low as reasonably practicable” principle, but we have heard evidence that the practicable bit sometimes gets a bit lost. I want to start on the environment with you, Andy. The Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce foun…”

“Please do.”

“Yes, three minutes on waste management, great. I am too obsessed with graphite cracking. When we build nuclear reactors, they are meant to look at the whole lifecycle, including defuelling and decommissioning. Is that being effectively interpreted and applied today? Given that we do not have a GDF, and that we do not k…”

“We keep being told that there is a lack of skilled workforce in the nuclear sector and that there is a concern that people will move from decommissioning into new generation, or will not move from new generation into decommissioning, because of the pay gaps and cultural aspects, to be honest. Do you think that regulato…”

“I want to move on to my favourite subject, the semi-urban population density criteria. EN-7 retained the semi-urban population density criteria, despite the fact that it was created in the 1960s, it was based on technology we no longer use and it does not have the decades of operational and safety data that we now have…”

“What are the costs of safe storage while we do not have a GDF, and how do they compare with getting on with a GDF?”

“I want to move on to advanced technologies, and this is mainly for Gareth. Advanced modular reactors require uranium at a higher enrichment level than conventional reactors, and this is known as high-assay low-enriched uranium, or HALEU. Given that the Government have an ambition to deliver a UK capability for HALEU by…”

“We are collaborating with Japan on a high-temperature gas reactor design—”

“Do you agree that the extent of the risk aversion in some assessments of existing nuclear power stations goes too far? For example, that you have to disregard the secondary and tertiary safety mechanisms, nitrogen and boron, and show that the control rods themselves can shut down the reactor. This might be a bit detail…”

“The taskforce identified regulatory duplication across the myriad regulators we have in the nuclear space. Have the regulators started working on that and on trying to harmonise processes to avoid duplication? Is that work already in process, or is it yet to start?”

“Yes, I have a quick follow-up on the advanced nuclear framework. Is it clear what criteria the vendors and technologies will be assessed on under that framework? Is it clear to them what would be prioritised in the sifting of those technologies?”

“—and this has been described as cost-effective and low-risk. Are there any trade-offs for UK sovereign capability and long-term independence with relying on an international partner, however solid the allyship?”

“Yes, three minutes on waste management, great. I am too obsessed with graphite cracking. When we build nuclear reactors, they are meant to look at the whole lifecycle, including defuelling and decommissioning. Is that being effectively interpreted and applied today? Given that we do not have a GDF, and that we do not k…”

“We keep being told that there is a lack of skilled workforce in the nuclear sector and that there is a concern that people will move from decommissioning into new generation, or will not move from new generation into decommissioning, because of the pay gaps and cultural aspects, to be honest. Do you think that regulato…”

“That brings me nicely on to a question that I will put to Paul Fyfe first. Outside of this Committee, I have had conversations about the shutdown of two nuclear reactors in 2022, at the height of an energy crisis. I have also had conversations about how reactors like Heysham 1 and 2 in my constituency are assessed for …”