Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has no current plans to write to the UK Government to oppose life extensions at Hunterston B or Torness nuclear power stations.

Life extensions of nuclear stations must be agreed by the Health and Safety Executive on behalf of the UK Government. The decision to extend the life of a station will be made on the basis of a Periodic Safety Review of each site.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03994 on 24 November 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The UK Government and the Health and Safety Executive are responsible for commissioning safety assessments of nuclear power stations in Scotland. The Scottish Government has no plans to undertake safety assessments of the existing nuclear power stations in Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s energy generation policy position was set out in its Draft Electricity Generation Policy Statement published in November 2010. The statement confirmed our opposition to new nuclear and also recognised that life extensions to existing nuclear stations may be needed in the short term to ensure security of supply.

The impact of life extensions at Hunterston B and Torness on Scotland’s future security of supply, export potential and carbon emissions targets is being considered as part of the policy statement review currently being undertaken. The revised policy statement will be subject to a Strategic environmental assessment, with both publications planned this winter.

We are committed to enhancing Scotland's generation advantage based on renewables, thermal with carbon capture and storage as well as energy efficiency as the best long term solution to Scotland's energy security.

We recognise the need for possible life extensions for existing nuclear power stations in the short term to help security of supply, but we are opposed to the development of new nuclear power stations in Scotland.

Providing a public subsidy for the nuclear power industry is a reserved matter for the UK Government. However, the Scottish Government does not support new nuclear development and recognises the need for a balanced approach to encouraging the development of a mix of low carbon technologies to meet demand in Scotland.

Our policy position on UK Government measures to incentivise technological development and security of supply for the future, is set out in our consultation responses on the Electricity Market Reform White Paper dated 16 March and 12 July 2011:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/Infrastructure/Grid-Connections/EMR-consultation-UK/EMR-consultation-UK.

It is up to the station operator to propose any life extension and for the UK Government Office of Nuclear Regulation and its agencies to decide, subject to advice on health, safety and environmental issues.

The Scottish Government has set out clearly its firm opposition to nuclear weapons and has on several occasions called on the UK Government to commit to the withdrawal of Trident and to cancel plans for its replacement.

The Scottish Government has not however discussed timescales for removing nuclear weapons from Scotland with the United Kingdom Government.

The Scotland Act 1998 reserves the control of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction to the UK Government. The Scottish Government therefore has no competence in relation to nuclear weapons and the introduction of any legislation aimed at the presence, control or transportation of nuclear weapons would be outwith legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.