26/04/04 - Lords support Cumbria Nuclear Lobby

Cumbria County Council’s political group leaders have welcomed news that the House of Lords voted in favour of amendments to the Energy Bill as proposed by the Council. The amendments are designed to make the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency support local communities affected by job losses as nuclear sites are decommissioned. The amendments will now be debated by the House of Commons in May.

Councillors Rex Toft – Conservative, Stewart Young – Labour and Mike Ash – Liberal Democrat say:

“We want the final legislation to make a binding commitment to benefit the social and economic life of communities living near Nuclear Sites. It is essential that the areas hit by job losses as nuclear sites are decommissioned get all the support they can. Cumbrian peers have done an excellent job in convincing their colleagues of our argument. The debate now moves on to the House of Commons and let’s hope we secure similar support and get the law on the side of local communities.” 

Revised amendments to the Bill, discussed on 20thApril, were tabled by Lord Jopling and seconded by Lord Campbell Savors following an earlier debate on 18thMarch led by Lord Jenkins. The County Council initiated the lobby against the backdrop of the predicted 8,000 job losses as Sellafield. The amendments would place a wider responsibility on the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency (NDA), through its work, to benefit the economic and social well-being life of areas around nuclear sites.