Brexit putting UK nuclear industry, energy supplies 'at risk' - MPs

The government's push towards Brexit had left the UK's nuclear industry and future energy supply at risk, a committee of MPs warned on Tuesday.

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee said the decision to leave the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) would create a dangerous interval and the time taken to move to secure new arrangements post-Brexit “would severely inhibit nuclear trade and research”.

Iain Wright, chair of the cross-party committee, said the impact of Brexit on Euratom “has not been thought through”.

“The government has failed to consider the potentially disastrous ramifications of its Brexit objectives for the nuclear industry. Ministers must act as urgently as possible. The repercussions of failing to do so are huge. The continued operations of the UK nuclear industry are at risk,” he said.

“The prime minister has made it politically unfeasible to remain in Euratom long term. The government now has a responsibility to end the uncertainty hanging over the industry and ensure robust and stable arrangements to protect trade, boost research and development, and ensure safeguarding of the highest level."

The committee said legal opinion was divided on the government's argument that the UK must leave Euratom as a result of the triggering of Article 50.

It called the withdrawal an "unfortunate, and perhaps unforeseen" consequence of Prime Minister Theresa May's objective of ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the UK.

"Ministers must end the uncertainty and resolve the matter by securing alternative arrangements as urgently as possible," it said.

It added that there were "strong concerns" in the sector that new arrangements will take longer than two years to set up and recommended delaying departure from Euratom to give the industry more time to establish alternative arrangements.

"If this is not possible, the government should seek transitional arrangements, which may need to be longer than the three years proposed by the European parliament," the committee said.