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TO THE SAFETY OF THE PROPOSED STATION. I HAVE ALSO TAKEN INTO
ACCOUNT RECENT CHANGES IN ELECTRICITY DEMAND AND IN FOSSIL FUEL
PRICES.
8. FIRST, IN RELATION TO THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT, THE CHIEF
INSPECTOR OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS HAS ADVISED ME THAT THE PWR
DESIGN FOR SIZEWELL B IS OF A DIFFERENT REACTOR TYPE FROM THE
SOVIET RBMK DESIGN. ALL NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS IN THE UK, UNLIKE
THOSE IN THE USSR, MUST HAVE ENGINEERED CONTROL AND AUTOMATIC
PROTECTION SYSTEMS. MOREOVER, OUR SYSTEM OF REGULATION, UNLIKE
THAT WHICH APPLIED IN THE USSR, ENSURES THAT THERE IS A PROPER
AND RELIABLE PROCEDURAL FRAMEWORK OF CONTROLS. ALL OUR
EXPERIENCE IN THE UK HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT THERE IS A SUPERIOR
SAFETY CULTURE TO THAT WHICH APPARENTLY EXISTED AT CHERNOBYL AND
WHICH ALLOWED THE REPEATED DELIBERATE NON-COMPLIANCE WITH SAFETY
PROCEDURES. THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS
THEREFORE ADVISES ME THAT THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT DOES NOT CALL
FOR ANY RECONSIDERATION OF THE CONCLUSIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS OF
THE LAYFIELD REPORT. .I AGREE WITH HIS ADVICE, A COPY OF WHICH I AM PLACING IN THE HOUSE LIBRARY.
9. IN HIS REPORT, SIR FRANK LAYFIELD ALSO DISCUSSES EMERGENCY
PLANS IN THE EVENT OF A NUCLEAR ACCIDENT. MY RT HON FRIEND THE
PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCED ON 18 DECEMBER THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS
UNDERTAKING A REVIEW, IN THE LIGHT OF OUR EXPERIENCE OF THE
CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT, OF THE UK'S EMERGENCY PLANS AND PROCEDURES IN
THE EVENT OF A NUCLEAR ACCIDENT EITHER IN THE UK OR ABROAD. THE
CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST STAGE OF THE REVIEW WAS THAT, WHILE
PLANNING NEEDS TO PROVIDE MORE SPECIFICALLY FOR AN ACCIDENT
OUTSIDE THE UK, EXISTING EMERGENCY PLANS CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A
VALID BASIS FOR THE RESPONSE TO ANY NUCLEAR ACCIDENT IN THE UK.
10.
TURNING TO THE ECONOMIC CASE, I HAVE NOTED THAT SINCE THE
INQUIRY CLOSED, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY HAS RISEN WITH ASSOCIATED
GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY. SIZEWELL B, EVEN IF STARTED
NOW, IS UNLIKELY TO BE READY AHEAD OF NEED.
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