To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Answer by Lord Young of Norwood Green on 26 January (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 3), whether the reference to all forms of renewable energy, including nuclear, means that nuclear energy is now to be regarded as a renewable source, as suggested in the House of Lords by Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 27 October 2005 (Official Report, House of Lords, col. 1373). [HL1089]

Nuclear power is not classed as a renewable because supplies of the fuel source, uranium, are finite. Based on the levels of global nuclear generation in 2004, the known available reserves of uranium that can be mined for less than $130/kg (approximately the uranium price in 2006) would last for the next 85 years.

Nuclear is a low carbon form of electricity generation which can help to minimise damaging climate change.