Government nuclear plan a ‘wish list’ not a detailed strategy, say MPs
A government vision to ramp up the UK’s nuclear power is more of a “wish list” than a detailed strategy, according to a report.
MPs on parliament’s science committee said questions remained over the plan to hit 24 gigawatts by 2050 – the same year it’s pledged to achieve net-zero emissions.
The report backed the target but said the government’s energy security plan, published in March, gave little detail of how it will be achieved.
Plans don’t “amount to the comprehensive, detailed and specific strategy that we believe is required if the government’s aspirations are to be delivered”, according to MPs.
Committee chair Greg Clark said the 24-gigawatt target would be “almost double the highest level of nuclear generation that the UK has ever attained”.
He added: “The only way to achieve this is to translate these very high-level aspirations into a comprehensive, concrete and detailed nuclear strategic plan which is developed jointly with the nuclear industry, which enjoys long-term cross-party political commitment and which therefore offers dependability for private and public investment decisions.”
The 118-page report also raised concerns over Great British Nuclear (GBN), a body involved in developing smaller-scale nuclear technology projects.
Energy Secretary Grant Shapps earlier this month said GBN would play a vital part of a UK nuclear energy “renaissance”.
But the report said there was “ambiguity over what GBN’s exact remit will be in the future, beyond running a SMR (small modular reactor) competition”.
The science committee urged a “more comprehensive statement of GBN’s remit, operational model and budget, and its intended role with respect to ministers and government departments”.
Sizewell C has been approved for the Suffolk coast. Pic: EDF
Campaigners against the Sizewell C nuclear plant – to be built in Suffolk – also welcomed a call for more clarity over how large projects are financed, after the report said “robust estimates” were vital in deciding whether such schemes should go ahead.
The Stop Sizewell C group said it supported the committee’s call for the government to publish details on Sizewell C’s cost and value as it “will expose just how unjustifiable this slow, risky, expensive project is”.
However, a spokesperson said it was dismayed that MPs “ignored legitimate concerns about whether nuclear can deliver reliable, affordable electricity”.
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Addressing the concerns over a lack of detail, a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “We have already made clear we will publish a nuclear roadmap and consult on alternative routes to market by the end of the year.
“Nuclear has a vital role to play in reaching net zero and boosting energy security – just last week we launched Great British Nuclear which will help generate billions for the UK economy and support thousands of jobs.”
Professor Adrian Bull, from the Dalton Nuclear Institute at University of Manchester, said he supported the MPs’ key recommendation of a nuclear strategic review.
He said it would “give clear direction to Great British Nuclear and other bodies on how to proceed towards the 2050 target”.
“That plan would give clarity and confidence to businesses in the sector and to the thousands of new recruits needed to support delivery of such an ambitious programme… Unless a clear and comprehensive plan is produced soon, we’re sure to fail,” he added.
Tasers can be used in prisons for the first time to tackle “unacceptably high” levels of violence, as part of a new trial.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said she is “determined to keep prison staff safe”.
Specialist officers from two bases in Oxfordshire and Doncaster can now be deployed to incidents in adult male prisons in England and Wales, equipped with Tasers.
In a demonstration hostage situation, officers used pyrotechnics to distract an aggressive inmate
Officers tackled an aggressive ‘inmate’ after he was distracted by pyrotechnics in the demonstration
Reporters attending a demonstration were shown how they could be used in certain scenarios, where there is a threat to safety, including hostage situations or riots, and where multiple people are involved in “mass disorder”.
One demonstration involved four prisoners who had become disruptive in the exercise yard.
After staff were forced to withdraw, three inmates turned on one and it was deemed there was an “immediate threat to life.”
Officers gave verbal warnings before deploying the Tasers at a distance.
This trial will use the Taser 7 model, which is what police officers currently use.
It can generate 50,000 volts when triggered, but drops to about 1,500 volts when hitting the target.
In a separate hostage situation, officers used pyrotechnics which produced loud bangs and smoke to distract an aggressive “inmate” before putting them in handcuffs.
An ‘inmate’ is tackled by a security officer during a simulation
At first, specialist national officers from the two bases can be deployed if such incidents occur.
It’s understood at the moment these teams get 800 callouts a year – averaging just over two a day.
The trial will run until enough data is collected to determine whether Tasers should be rolled out more widely.
Ms Mahmood said she intends to have further updates in the autumn and will “consider” whether local staff inside jails can use them.
“From my perspective, this is very much the beginning,” she said.
Violence in prisons has been rising. In the 12 months to December there were 10,605 assaults on staff, a rise of 13% on the year before and a new peak. Serious assaults were also up 10% on the previous 12 months.
A security officer demonstrates the Taser in use
Earlier this year, Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi attacked prison staff at the high-security jail HMP Frankland, using hot cooking oil and homemade, or improvised, weapons.
The justice secretary said the incident at Frankland “forced the pace” of further measures to tackle violence.
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana also allegedly attacked a member of staff at HMP Belmarsh by pouring hot water over them from inside his cell.
The Prison Officers Association (POA) union urged ministers to consider protective equipment and stab vests for staff.
Read more:
Tories call for Tasers to be used in prisons
‘Bleak’ prison in special measures
Last month, the government announced the use of body armour at certain units in high-security jails, which house some of the most dangerous inmates.
But while “grateful” for a “step in the right direction”, the POA don’t think the new measure goes far enough – and instead want specialist staff inside jails trained to use Tasers.
“It is pointless a national response being several hours away if, locally, Taser is needed to immediately preserve life and combat threat,” Mark Fairhurst, the POA’s national chairman said.
Whitehall wants to consider the “lessons” from this trial before any potential further rollout.
Ms Mahmood pointed out that while Tasers have been used for many years by the police, “a custodial setting is different to usage in other scenarios”.
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