NUCLEAR LOBBY "SELLING A LIE" ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY OF NUCLEAR POWER

Mike Weir MP, SNP Westminster Spokesperson on Energy, is to reiterate the SNP's absolute opposition to new nuclear power stations in a Commons debate today. Mr Weir will seek to speak in a debate on the motion that "This House opposes the construction of a new generation of civil nuclear power plants."

Speaking ahead of the debate Mr Weir said that Scotland did not have an energy crisis and, in fact, produced much more energy than we used. He also accused the pro nuclear lobby of "selling a lie" about the sustainability of nuclear generation.

"Leaving aside the problems of cost, security and waste associated with nuclear generation it is simply not the case that nuclear power offers us an inexhaustible supply of energy."

"The generation of nuclear energy requires uranium, which is a finite resource. Indeed the European Commission green paper on Energy pointed out that at the current level of uranium consumption known uranium would last 42 years, about the same time as known supplies of North Sea gas.

"If, however, there was a substantial increase in nuclear generation that figure could fall dramatically. Even before then we might be forced to access uranium from less stable areas of the world and run into the same problems as with oil and gas."

"The only sensible course of action is to invest in renewables and exploit our vast coal reserves using new clean coal and carbon capture technology."