Brexit Threat To Workers Puts New Nuclear Plants In Doubt, Says Lords Report

The report, by the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee, says that within the energy sector, the nuclear industry is particularly reliant upon overseas labour. It says any new immigration policy should be flexible enough to meet the energy sector’s needs.

The report calls on the government to assess the workforce needs of the energy industry and ensure they are reflected in the post-Brexit immigration policy. Neither a simple extension of the current points-based system to EU workers, nor an exclusive focus on high skilled workers, would address the industry’s concerns.

The report notes that EDF Energy, the company building two EPR units at Hinkley Point C, says the highest concentration of non-British nationals as a percentage of the total employed workforce is within nuclear new build.

According to the report, the energy industry is reliant on workers from the EU, in particular to fill its engineering roles. These workers are necessary for the construction and maintenance of a secure energy system. The report says: “While we encourage the government to pursue opportunities to train more workers domestically, this will take time, and continued access to EU workers will be needed in the meantime.”

Dependence on EU workers is particularly acute in the nuclear energy sector, the report says. “The evidence from EDF Energy is clear that without access to EU labour it will be difficult to complete construction of the new nuclear power facility at Hinkley Point C.”

The report also warns that failure to replace the provisions of the Euratom Treaty by the time the UK leaves the EU could result in the UK being unable to import nuclear materials.

The UK’s withdrawal from Euratom, which underpins the nuclear industry and trade in nuclear materials, could impact the UK’s ability to maintain current levels of electricity generation.

The report is online: http://bit.ly/2DIuvD7