Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the current and future workforce capacity in the UK nuclear research sector; and how that assessment is informing the Government’s plans to expand nuclear power generation.

The 2024 Nuclear Workforce Assessment, published by Cogent Skills, indicates the current levels and projected demand for the nuclear sector and sub-sectors (including research).

To support the nuclear research sector in meeting this demand forecast the Government is expanding the UK’s nuclear fission postgraduate training programme with a £65.5 million bespoke nuclear Doctoral Focal Award as part of the joint government-industry Nuclear Skills Plan. This investment will fund seven Centres for Doctoral Training, supporting over 500 doctoral students across four cohorts, and will strengthen the future research workforce needed for the nuclear sector.