Feargal Quinn (Independent)

We debated energy policy in this House during the past year but one of the areas we have not fully debated with an open mind is the question nuclear energy. I am concerned about a report obtained yesterday through a freedom of information inquiry that appeared in a British newspaper article today. It states that the British Government's nuclear inspector has raised serious questions about the safety of the ageing atomic power stations in Britain, particularly in regard to cracks that have appeared in the reactor cores. I was not aware of that safety concern and neither do I believe were the British, but that article was carried in a British newspaper today. Apparently, the company that runs these stations has indicated that it does not know the extent of those cracks or of the damage done by the reactors and it cannot fully explain the reason those cracks have occurred.

I raise this matter because at an early stage in the next session we need to debate the question of energy, particularly nuclear energy. The British Nuclear Safety Directorate is faced with significant regulatory issues for all operating reactors. It is concerned that there are major difficulties and questions about all the reactors in Britain and it is not easy even for the people who run them to answer those questions.