A former boss of the competition regulator is to spearhead a review ordered by Sir Keir Starmer aimed at sparking a new wave of nuclear power construction in Britain.
Sky News has learnt that John Fingleton, who stepped down as chief executive of the Office of Fair Trading in 2012 and now runs a leading regulatory consulting firm, is to chair a taskforce announced by the prime minister in February.
Whitehall sources said Mr Fingleton’s appointment to lead the nuclear regulatory task force could be announced by the PM as soon as next week.
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The focus of the taskforce, which will report back to Sir Keir later this year, will be on incentivising investment in building new nuclear energy capacity in the UK.
News of Mr Fingleton’s appointment comes days after it emerged that Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, had authorised a further £2.7bn of taxpayer funding for the Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk.
A government source said on Tuesday: “After 14 years of no new nuclear, this government is determined to unlock the power of nuclear energy as part of our clean energy superpower mission.
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“This includes reviewing regulation to drive delivery of new projects, and we will set out further plans in due course.”
Announcing the review in February, the government said removing red tape would enable more nuclear power plants to gain approval, despite widespread scepticism from industry executives about the deliverability of the plans.
“For too long the country has been mired by delay and obstruction, with a system too happy to label decisions as too difficult, or too long-term,” Downing Street said in a statement at the time.
“The UK was the first country in the world to develop a nuclear reactor, but the last time a nuclear power station was built was back in 1995.
“None have been built since, leaving the UK lagging behind in a global race to harness cleaner, more affordable energy.”
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It said that while just one new nuclear plant was under construction in Britain, China was building 29 reactors and there were 12 at the planning stage in the European Union.
“Our energy security has been hostage to Putin for too long, with British prices skyrocketing at his whims,” Sir Keir said in February.
“I’m putting an end to it – changing the rules to back the builders of this nation, and saying no to the blockers who have strangled our chances of cheaper energy, growth and jobs for far too long.”
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Mr Fingleton could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
