asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they have assessed the role of new nuclear energy plants in reducing carbon emissions. [HL4621]

Paragraphs 2.10 to 2.25 of the nuclear White Paper published in January 2008 set out the reasoning behind our conclusion that throughout their lifecycle the carbon emissions from nuclear power stations are low and that new nuclear power stations could therefore make a material contribution to tackling climate change, as part of a wider strategy to cut emissions.

The department also published a cost-benefit analysis for nuclear power alongside the energy White Paper in May 2007. This compared nuclear power with gas-fired generation and alternative low-carbon generation options. This analysis is available at: www.berr.gov.uk/files/file39525.pdf.