Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
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 potential impact on (a) local employment and (b) economic growth in the Thornbury and Yate constituency of deploying Small Modular Reactors at the Oldbury site, as part of the Government's plan to build a further 9 SMRs.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
GBE-N owns the site at Oldbury-on-Severn and as a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station, it has great potential for new nuclear. GBE-N will continue early work to evaluate the site, to ensure it is ready for future deployment. .
The government wants to see thousands of jobs created across the UK nuclear sector and for UK supply chains to develop world-leading expertise across a range of civil nuclear activities to ensure competitiveness both domestically and internationally.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent comparative assessment he has made of the technical and strategic suitability of the Wylfa site for (a) a gigawatt-scale nuclear reactor and (b) Small Modular Reactors.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In November 2025, following careful deliberation, the Government announced that Wylfa will host Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) first Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project. Wylfa has the potential to accommodate more SMR units than other potential sites.
To pursue the option of further potential large-scale nuclear, the government has tasked GBE-N with identifying other suitable sites that could potentially host such a project. GBE-N will report back by Autumn 2026 on potential sites to inform future decisions in the next Spending Review and beyond.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on representations made by the US Ambassador regarding the suitability of Wylfa for gigawatt-scale nuclear energy production.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The US is one of our most important and longstanding international partners on civil nuclear and we are regularly in contact on civil nuclear matters.
The government has selected Wylfa as the site to host Britain’s first Small Modular Reactors. Meanwhile, to pursue the option of further large-scale nuclear, we have tasked Great British Energy - Nuclear with identifying suitable sites that could host a potential large-scale project.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the US joint Department of Army and Department of Energy Project Janus, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of helping develop small modular reactors.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government is committed to delivering a new golden age of nuclear, securing an abundance of clean energy, protecting family finances, taking back control of our energy supply, and tackling the climate crisis. The government has committed almost £17bn across the Spending Review period to the most ambitious nuclear new build programme for a generation. This includes over £2.5bn across the Spending Review period to enable one of Europe’s first small modular reactor programmes.
Government recognises the potential benefits offered by different uses of advanced nuclear, including: supplying electricity to the grid; off-grid solutions, including supplying data centres via private wire; and providing heat to support industrial decarbonisation.
In September last year, the UK and the US signed a high-level agreement to collaborate on nuclear energy and fusion under the Tech Prosperity Deal. As part of that agreement, the Government committed to exploring opportunities for novel applications of advanced nuclear energy, including strengthening energy resilience for the Participants’ defence facilities on which we continue to engage.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of British manufacturing content Rolls Royce committed to in their submission for the contract for small modular reactors.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out on 24 December (HL12986), Great British Energy-Nuclear's (GBE-N) ambition is for 70% British built products across a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) fleet, including both on-site and off-site activity.
The GBE-N SMR Technology Selection Process evaluated bids against technical, economic, and social value criteria, though any specific commitments would remain subject to final government approvals and GBE-N entering into contract with Rolls-Royce SMR.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether small modular reactors will be commercially insurable against nuclear radiation events.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, operators of nuclear licensed sites are required to have sufficient financial coverage to ensure compensation would be available in the unlikely event of a nuclear incident.
Most operators secure this coverage through nuclear insurance. These are commercial arrangements between operators and insurers. Small modular reactor operators could seek such arrangements in the same manner as other nuclear projects.
In the event that commercially available cover is unattainable, the Secretary of State can make provision for financial security under such terms it considers appropriate. This can be used to ensure there are no gaps in cover.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Vallance of Balham of 9 December (HL12318), whether the 70 per cent of United Kingdom content applies to only offsite manufactured plant or includes on-site construction costs and materials.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out on 9 December (HL12318), Great British Energy-Nuclear's (GBE-N) ambition is for 70% British built products across the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) fleet. GBE-N’s ambition encompasses both on-site and off-site activity.
While it would not be appropriate to speculate at this time on specific commercial contracts, subject to final government approvals and contract signature with Rolls-Royce SMR, GBE-N will continue to consider how the UK supply chain can support the deployment of SMRs.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has put processes in place to prioritise UK produced steel in procurement for small modular nuclear reactor projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) has selected Rolls-Royce SMR as its preferred bidder to partner with to develop the SMR project, subject to final government approvals.
GBE-N’s ambition is to ensure that 70% of supply chain products are British built across the SMR fleet, creating thousands more jobs across the supply chain.
The government will continue to engage with industry to address barriers to entry in the nuclear sector so that UK companies are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities created.
Asked by: Lord Spellar (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to use public procurement for the Rolls-Royce small modular reactor programme to develop UK nuclear supply chain capability.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As announced on 13 November, the Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) small modular reactor (SMR) project will be sited at Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales, supporting around 3,000 good jobs at peak construction and thousands more across the supply chain.
Subject to final government approvals and contract signature, the project will deploy Rolls-Royce SMR technology. Ahead of contract signature, it is not possible to comment on specific SMR components or supply chain, though GBE-N's ambition is to deliver over 70% UK content across the SMR fleet.
Asked by: Gagan Mohindra (Conservative - South West Hertfordshire)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to build large nuclear sites in Wales.
Answered by Anna McMorrin - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
This Government has chosen Wylfa as the best site to host Britain’s first ever three Small Modular Reactors.
Great British Energy-Nuclear has confirmed it could host up to eight SMR units in the future, bringing in even more jobs, investment and benefits for Wales.