TNAG-1657-FCO40-2305-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-station-project-safety-concerns-in-Ho-1987 — Page 72

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2. THE CEGB'S APPLICATION HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF THE MOST WIDE-

RANGING AND LONGEST PUBLIC INQUIRY CARRIED OUT IN THIS COUNTRY.

I PUBLISHED THE REPORT ON 26 JANUARY. IT WAS DEBATED BY THIS

HOUSE ON 23 FEBRUARY. ON THAT OCCASION THE THOROUGHNESS AND

WELL-WRITTEN NATURE OF SIR FRANK LAYFIELD'S WORK WERE GENERALLY

ACKNOWLEDGED BY BOTH SIDES.

3. I CAN ASSURE THE HOUSE THAT BEFORE REACHING MY DECISION I

HAVE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED THE POINTS RAISED DURING THAT DEBATE

AND THOSE MADE IN THE DEBATE IN ANOTHER PLACE LAST WEEK.

4。 HON MEMBERS HAVE CLEARLY STUDIED THE INSPECTOR'S REPORT WITH

CARE. THEY WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH HIS CONCLUSION THAT THERE IS A

NATIONAL INTEREST IN BUILDING A PWR AND THAT THIS CAN BEST BE MET

AT SIZEWELL. HE FOUND THAT A NEW POWER STATION IS REQUIRED TO

MEET ANTICIPATED CAPACITY NEED SEMI-COLON THAT IT SHOULD BE

APPROVED IN THE NEAR FUTURE SEMI-COLON AND THAT THE PROPOSED PWR

IS LIKELY TO BE THE LEAST COST MEANS OF ADDING THAT CAPACITY.

THE INSPECTOR FURTHER CONCLUDED THAT THERE IS GOOD CONFIDENCE

THAT SIZEWELL B WAS SUFFICIENTLY SAFE TO BE TOLERABLE AND THAT

THE NATIONAL NEED FOR THE STATION OVERRIDES THE LOCAL INTEREST IN

FAVOUR OF CONSERVATION.

5. SIR FRANK THEREFORE RECOMMENDED THAT CONSENT AND DEEMED

PLANNING PERMISSION SHOULD BE GIVEN FOR THE STATION, BUT SHOULD

BE REFUSED FOR THE SECOND ACCESS ROAD. HE ALSO MADE A NUMBER OF

DETAILED SUBSIDIARY RECOMMENDATIONS.

6.

THE INSPECTOR CLOSED THE INQUIRY IN MARCH 1985 AND PROPERLY

REPORTED ONLY ON THE EVIDENCE HE RECEIVED BEFORE THEN. IN

REACHING MY DECISION, HOWEVER, I MUST CONSIDER WHETHER ANYTHING

HAS OCCURRED SINCE THAT DATE WHICH IS MATERIAL TO MY DECISION

AND, IF SO, WHAT WEIGHT I SHOULD GIVE TO ANY SUCH MATTERS.

7.

I HAVE, IN PARTICULAR, CONSIDERED THE RELEVANCE OF CHERNOBYL

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