Stunell tells Parliament to stop throwing taxpayers' money down the nuclear drain

4.58.05pm GMT Mon 23rd Jan 2006

Yesterday, Hazel Grove MP, Andrew Stunell spoke out in Parliament to demand that no more nuclear power stations, which have cost the taxpayer billions of pounds, are environmentally damaging, high risk and unpopular with the popular, are built.

Mr Stunell told Parliament:

"A huge amount of taxpayers' money has already been committed to the clean up of nuclear waste, and an even bigger sum is to follow. The Department of Trade and Industry estimate for managing waste has gone up from £48 billion to £56 billion, and is about to go up yet again."

Mr Stunell also highlighted that "British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. accidentally released a swimming-bathful of radioactive liquid", and attacked the Government for considering building new nuclear reactors when they still haven't decided how to safely dispose of radioactive waste, telling Parliament:

"We are a long way from settling the issue of how to dispose of nuclear waste, let alone of where to dispose of it and how to pay for it.

"The total of high-level waste if a new generation of 10 nuclear plants is built will rise from just over 8,000m3 to 39,000m3. That is five times as much as we would have if those 10 new nuclear plants were not built—a five-fold increase."

Mr Stunell is determined to stop the Government from throwing more huge amounts of taxpayers' money down the nuclear drain and is demanding that the Government instead commits to a truly sustainable energy policy. ENDS

Note to Editors: You can read the debate at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060117/debindx/60117-x.htm