Nuclear power not the answer to future energy needs

3.52.46pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 12th May 2006

Responding to David Miliband's affirmation that the Government are considering a new generation of nuclear power stations, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP said:

"While Mr Miliband's acknowledgment of the scale of the climate change challenge is welcome, his comments on nuclear power are worrying.

"Not only does nuclear cause a great threat to the environment through the large amounts of waste produced, but it is also economically unviable.

"The Government intends to use private investment to fulfil our future energy needs. However, since the Chernobyl disaster, no nuclear power station has been built anywhere in the world without huge amounts of government subsidy.

"The Government should instead spend this money on the development of genuinely sustainable technologies."