Fylde MP campaigns for nuclear fuel work in county

Fylde MP Mark Menzies welcomed a ministerial visit to Westinghouse’s Springfields facility at Salwick – and has called on the Government to ensure any future nuclear deals include provision of fuel from the firm.

Richard Harrington, a minister at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, visited Springfields to see fuel being made, and to meet apprentices. It makes the nuclear fuel that provides 22 per cent of the electricity supply, and is of key strategic importance to the UK.

Britain is currently mulling over plans to build the next generation of nuclear power stations, but with companies from overseas involved in the process, there is a risk that fuel will come from other countries.

Fylde MP Mark Menzies has called for the Government to ensure a deal for any future nuclear power stations includes the provision of fuel from the Springfields site.

Mr Menzies said: “I'm pleased to see Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Richard Harrington visited Springfields.

“When Richard became a minister in BEIS, I visited him with Westinghouse staff to impress on him the importance of ensuring any deals for new nuclear power stations in the UK included provision of fuel from this site.

“I want the Government's Nuclear Sector Deal to ensure any fuel is made here in Fylde.

“We must protect not only British highly-skilled engineering jobs, we must also ensure we maintain the ability to make our own nuclear fuel in the future.

“And we must make sure we put in place all possible protections for our workers – we cannot allow a foreign power station owner to bring in fuel from abroad, purely to support jobs in their own country. We need a level playing field.”