Energy Review
A judge struck a blow at Prime Minister Tony Blair’s plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations on Thursday, forcing the government into another public consultation that could delay new nuclear plants. High Court judge Jeremy Sullivan handed a stinging rebuke to Blair’s government, saying the public consultation it carried out before deciding Britain needed new nuclear power stations was “inadequate” and “wrong”.
Reuters 15th Feb 2007
The Government’s decision to opt for a new generation of nuclear power stations was declared unlawful by a High Court judge because of a “seriously flawed” public consultation process.
Ananova 15th Feb 2007
Q&A on how the Government ended up in court. Today’s High Court ruling in favour of Greenpeace follows the launch last July of the Government’s energy review, which pledged support for a new generation of nuclear power stations.
Telegraph website 15th Feb 2007
Guardian Q&A 15th Feb 2007
The Government’s nuclear power programme was thrown into chaos when a High Court judge ruled it had acted illegally in failing to be open with the public.
This is London 15th Feb 2007
A High Court judge has ruled against the government and in favour of environmental group Greenpeace in a row over new nuclear power stations. High Court judge Jeremy Sullivan ruled that the government’s consultation process ahead of making a decision on new nuclear plants last year was “seriously flawed” and “procedurally unfair”.
politics.co.uk 15th Feb 2007
BBC 15th Feb 2007
Guardian website 15th Feb 2007
CNN 15th Feb 2007
Belfast Telegraph 15th Feb 2007
Green Party Press Release 15th Feb 2007
Independent website 15th Feb 2007
Building Magazine 15th Feb 2007
Greenpeace Press Release 15th Feb 2007
View London 15th Feb 2007
Times 15th Feb 2007
Mirror 15th Feb 2007
Metro 15th Feb 2007
ITV 15th Feb 2007
24Dash 15th Feb 2007
Daily Mail website 15th Feb 2007
The UK government’s nuclear energy strategy was thrown into disarray on Thursday morning when environmental campaign group Greenpeace won a legal victory in London’s High Court.
FT website 15th Feb 2007
The High Court ruled the Department for Trade and Industry’s consultation process into alternative energy resources was “seriously flawed”. Harrison Grant, acting on behalf of Greenpeace, challenged the Government’s decision to support new nuclear power stations as part of the UK’s future energy-generating mix. The submissions centred on the promise by the DTi in the 2003 that a full public consultation would be carried out on the issue before declaring any policy position on building more nuclear power plants. The High Court ruled that Greenpeace had a legitimate expectation that had been frustrated, resulting in the ruling that the DTi’s support of nuclear newbuilds is unlawful.
The Lawyer 15th Feb 2007
Tony Blair’s claim to be opening up controversial policy areas to full public debate have often faced scepticism – none more so than on the issue of nuclear power. On this most emotive of policies, even as the prime minister was announcing his energy review in November 2005, critics of nuclear power were accusing him of having already made up his mind.
BBC 15th Feb 2007
Alan Duncan has accused the Government of trying to hide its intentions after the High Court backed a Greenpeace bid to make ministers think again about plans to build a new generation of nuclear power stations in Britain.
Conservative Party Release 15th Feb 2007
British Energy PLC has said it will continue to look for partners to develop new build nuclear power stations, despite the government’s High Court defeat today by Greenpeace.
Interactive Investor 15th Feb 2007
Following a High Court ruling overturning its decision to back the building of new nuclear power stations, the Department of Trade and Industry has insisted that its decision was “right in principle”.
ePolitix.com 15th Feb 2007
Trident
A powerful coalition of 100 scientists, lawyers, church leaders, actors, writers and MPs is today demanding a halt to the rush by Tony Blair towards a replacement for Britain’s Trident nuclear weapon system.
Independent 15th Feb 2007
UKAEA
Former boss of Dounreay, Norman Harrison, has been made Chief Executive of the UKAEA.
North west Evening Mail 15th Feb 2007
Gulf
Russian Foreign Minister Sergie Lavrov said Thursday the countries of the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have the right to have access to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Middle East On-Line 15th Feb 2007
Nuclear Research
Nexia Solutions has signed an agreement to share skills and technical expertise with the US government’s largest nuclear laboratory. Nexia Solutions is owned by British Nuclear Fuels but following the break-up and privatisation of BNFL later this year it will form the foundation of the UK’s first National Nuclear Laboratory. Nexia Solutions said yesterday it had signed a “ground-breaking” deal with the Idaho National Laboratory. The bodies would share resources and knowledge on issues such as nuclear fuel reprocessing and waste disposal. They would also work on an initiative which aims to promote nuclear power while limiting nuclear proliferation.
FT 15th Feb 2007
Areva
France’s Areva could win a multi-billion dollar deal to construct two nuclear reactors in southern China, after losing a major contract to US rival Westinghouse Electric just two months earlier.
FT 15th Feb 2007
North Korea
Negotiators and analysts yesterday warned that much work remained to force North Korea to go ahead with the landmark nuclear agreement it made in the Beijing six-party agreement on Tuesday.
Telegraph 15th Feb 2007
Trident
THREE pensioners were arrested yesterday during an anti-Trident demonstration at Faslane naval base.
Scotsman 15th Feb 2007
Torridge and West Devon Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox will go head-to-head with Plymouth CND campaigner Tony Staunton tomorrow in a debate over the upgrade of Trident nuclear weapons.
Western Morning News 14th Feb 2007
New nukes
Opinion piece by Patrick Moore:- Last summer, the UK government’s Energy Review looked at the big picture surrounding energy needs, and wisely called for a resurgence in nuclear power generation. Meanwhile, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and other activist groups have adopted policies that specifically exclude nuclear from the UK’s future energy supply. While they talk about “transitioning to a low-carbon system”, they dismiss nuclear, the only energy source capable of actually delivering us from an increasing use of fossil fuels and their resulting carbon emissions.
Independent 15th Feb 2007
India
India will soon test fire a new missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads across much of Asia and the Middle East, a top defence scientist claimed today.
Belfast Telegraph 14th Feb 2007
Iran
Switzerland will apply sanctions against Iran, banning any exports that could be used for the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programme, the country’s Federal Council has said.
Interactive Investor 14th Feb 2007
France
Ségolène Royal’s popularity in some of the big power centres of the European Union has been sinking almost as fast as her recent poll ratings in France. Ms Royal’s promise to merge EDF and Gaz de France into a single nationalised utility hardly smacks of the kind of deregulated and competitive energy market being promoted by Mr Barroso.
FT 15th Feb 2007