Capenhurst Facility: High-assay Low-enriched Uranium

Lord Morse Excerpts

Wednesday 11th November 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Curran (Lab)]

I do not have direct details on that specific project so I will write to the noble Lord and make sure that I can address those issues. As he will know, the Government’s SMR programme is backed by £2.6 billion across the spending review period and will create 3,000 skilled jobs onsite during peak construction and thousands more across the supply chain. The Government’s ambition is for 70% of SMR supply chain products to be British built, which is shown by over 70% of our £900 million invested into supply chain contracts going into UK-registered companies. As I say, I want this investment to work twice, once in supporting our energy security mission and once for British jobs and British business.

[Lord Morse (CB)]

My Lords, after that encouraging statement, I ask the Minister whether we are giving the same level of energy to capturing all the intellectual property associated with this project that we possibly can, because in the past we have often failed to do that.

[Baroness Curran (Lab)]

To be absolutely honest, I cannot give a guarantee about that because it is not in my briefing and I have not asked for it. I will do that and I will be encouraged to pursue that issue, given that that has been a failure in the past. I will pay great attention to that and speak to the relevant officials.