Priti Patel raises concerns about skills in the nuclear industry
Priti Patel raises concerns that Britain will have lost the relevant skills in the nuclear industry as no new nuclear power plant has been built for 20 years.
Priti Patel (Witham) (Con): No new nuclear power stations have been built in this country for more than 20 years. How confident is the Secretary of State that Britain will possess all the relevant skills and supply chains necessary to create a thriving nuclear industry in this country?
Chris Huhne: My hon. Friend is right to highlight the importance of skills to the nuclear industry’s revival, especially as so many who work in that industry are nearing retirement. That is why the Minister of State responsible for energy, my hon. Friend the Member for Wealden (Charles Hendry), has been working so hard with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to make sure, through the nuclear skills academy and other measures, that the skills are there so that we can deliver on time—and we will.
