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Written Question
Sizewell C Power Station
Tuesday 26th July 2022

Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government which minister from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will be making the decision as to whether Sizewell C will be granted a Development Consent Order.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The decision on the application for development consent for Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station was announced on 20 July 2022. The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Paul Scully took the decision on behalf of the Secretary of State who had confirmed that his delegation of the decision-making powers to Minister Scully in respect of the Sizewell C application should continue, notwithstanding Minister Scully’s move to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.


Written Question
Sizewell C Power Station
Tuesday 26th July 2022

Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make a decision on (1) whether to grant Sizewell C a Development Consent Order, or (2) any commitment of public investment in Sizewell C, before the appointment of a new Prime Minister; and what assessment they have made of the conformity of any such decisions with the Prime Minister’s statement to Cabinet on 6 July that major fiscal decisions should be left for the next Prime Minister.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Secretary of State granted development consent for the Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station on July 20th 2022, after thorough consideration of all relevant information.

Commercial negotiations on the project are strictly separate from consideration of the application for development consent. To date these negotiations have been constructive, but are ongoing and no decisions have been made.


Written Question
Solar Power: Land Use
Wednesday 9th March 2022

Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the area of land that has been used in England for the installation of solar panels in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government does not hold information on the area of land in England used for solar installations.

Further information is available on GOV.UK.


Written Question
China General Nuclear Power Corporation: Nuclear Power Stations
Wednesday 22nd September 2021

Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to remove China General Nuclear from further participation in the Bradwell B and Sizewell C nuclear power projects.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government has been holding constructive negotiations with the developer of Sizewell C since January, CGN has a stake in the project up to the point of Final Investment Decision (FID), however no decisions on the project have been taken, including the potential final configuration of investors. The Government has committed to bring at least one large-scale nuclear project to the point of FID by the end of this Parliament and have entered negotiations with Sizewell C on that basis. Any investment in nuclear projects is subject to thorough scrutiny and needs to satisfy our robust legal, regulatory and national security requirements.


Written Question
Sizewell C Power Station
Wednesday 22nd September 2021

Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the deterioration of the fuel rod sealings at pressure reactors installed in Taishan, China, for the Sizewell C nuclear power project.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As we stated in our response to the consultation on a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) for nuclear published on 14th December 2020, we believe that a RAB is a credible model for funding nuclear projects, as it should reduce the cost of finance and thereby reduce consumer bills.

We are also considering whether a RAB model could be applied to other low carbon technologies, including transport and storage infrastructure for carbon dioxide (outlined in the government’s response to the carbon capture, usage and storage business models consultation).

We have always been clear that any new nuclear project must provide value for money for consumers and taxpayers.

Currently no decisions have been taken concerning Government financing of the Sizewell C nuclear power project, ahead of the final investment decision.

The Government continues to explore the use of a Regulated Asset Base model for new nuclear projects and believes that this could be a viable means by which to finance new projects. Decisions on how the model would be applied to new projects have yet to be taken and would be subject to value for money and all relevant approvals.

BEIS officials are engaged regularly with representatives from both EDF Energy and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (the ONR) on a wide range of matters relating to nuclear reactors.


Written Question
Sizewell C Power Station
Wednesday 22nd September 2021

Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the cost of all government funding up to the date of the final investment decision on the Sizewell C nuclear project will fall to the taxpayer or be passed on to consumers of electricity.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As we stated in our response to the consultation on a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) for nuclear published on 14th December 2020, we believe that a RAB is a credible model for funding nuclear projects, as it should reduce the cost of finance and thereby reduce consumer bills.

We are also considering whether a RAB model could be applied to other low carbon technologies, including transport and storage infrastructure for carbon dioxide (outlined in the government’s response to the carbon capture, usage and storage business models consultation).

We have always been clear that any new nuclear project must provide value for money for consumers and taxpayers.

Currently no decisions have been taken concerning Government financing of the Sizewell C nuclear power project, ahead of the final investment decision.

The Government continues to explore the use of a Regulated Asset Base model for new nuclear projects and believes that this could be a viable means by which to finance new projects. Decisions on how the model would be applied to new projects have yet to be taken and would be subject to value for money and all relevant approvals.

BEIS officials are engaged regularly with representatives from both EDF Energy and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (the ONR) on a wide range of matters relating to nuclear reactors.


Written Question
Sizewell C Power Station
Wednesday 22nd September 2021

Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for them to have a stake in Sizewell C nuclear power project; and whether the financial return accrued by (1) the taxpayer, and (2) private sector investors, would be the same.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As we stated in our response to the consultation on a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) for nuclear published on 14th December 2020, we believe that a RAB is a credible model for funding nuclear projects, as it should reduce the cost of finance and thereby reduce consumer bills.

We are also considering whether a RAB model could be applied to other low carbon technologies, including transport and storage infrastructure for carbon dioxide (outlined in the government’s response to the carbon capture, usage and storage business models consultation).

We have always been clear that any new nuclear project must provide value for money for consumers and taxpayers.

Currently no decisions have been taken concerning Government financing of the Sizewell C nuclear power project, ahead of the final investment decision.

The Government continues to explore the use of a Regulated Asset Base model for new nuclear projects and believes that this could be a viable means by which to finance new projects. Decisions on how the model would be applied to new projects have yet to be taken and would be subject to value for money and all relevant approvals.

BEIS officials are engaged regularly with representatives from both EDF Energy and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (the ONR) on a wide range of matters relating to nuclear reactors.


Written Question
Energy: Finance
Wednesday 22nd September 2021

Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to legislate to allow the use of a Regulated Asset Base funding model for (1) new nuclear infrastructure, and (2) other energy projects.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As we stated in our response to the consultation on a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) for nuclear published on 14th December 2020, we believe that a RAB is a credible model for funding nuclear projects, as it should reduce the cost of finance and thereby reduce consumer bills.

We are also considering whether a RAB model could be applied to other low carbon technologies, including transport and storage infrastructure for carbon dioxide (outlined in the government’s response to the carbon capture, usage and storage business models consultation).

We have always been clear that any new nuclear project must provide value for money for consumers and taxpayers.

Currently no decisions have been taken concerning Government financing of the Sizewell C nuclear power project, ahead of the final investment decision.

The Government continues to explore the use of a Regulated Asset Base model for new nuclear projects and believes that this could be a viable means by which to finance new projects. Decisions on how the model would be applied to new projects have yet to be taken and would be subject to value for money and all relevant approvals.

BEIS officials are engaged regularly with representatives from both EDF Energy and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (the ONR) on a wide range of matters relating to nuclear reactors.


Written Question
Sizewell C Power Station
Thursday 18th February 2021

Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response by Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist on 3 February (HL Deb, col 2168), whether they have made a decision to proceed with the construction by EDF of the new nuclear power station Sizewell C; and, if so, when this decision was made.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

I assume my noble Friend is referring to our announcement to the House that we are entering negotiations with EDF, in relation to Sizewell C. Our aim is to bring at least one large-scale nuclear project to the point of Final Investment Decision by the end of this Parliament. No decision has yet been taken to proceed with Sizewell C, and the successful conclusion of these negotiations will be subject to full Government, regulatory and other approvals, including value for money.


Written Question
Sizewell C Power Station: Carbon Emissions
Thursday 17th December 2020

Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the data collected, and (2) calculations made, by the Nuclear New Build Generation Company of the lifecycle CO2 emissions of the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power project.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Before entering into commitments to support any nuclear project, the Government’s assessment would include whether the project was expected to contribute to the target of net zero emissions by 2050.