Meeting of the Parliament 10 February 2026 [Draft]
The last time that I checked, small modular reactors were still more than 20 years away. I am talking about what we need to do now in order to challenge the climate emergency and support biodiversity.
One of the issues with nuclear is the challenge of high-level nuclear waste, which is a radioactive by-product that cannot be destroyed and which requires secure, long-term isolation. High-level waste remains hazardous for thousands of years. I am deputy convener of the cross-party group on the civil nuclear industry, at which we have seen presentations on the complexity of high-level nuclear waste storage in Scotland, the process of conditioning to make it stable and the requirements of design, monitoring and long-term storage, which are required for decades.
Moving to net zero means being serious about renewables and the infrastructure and investment that are needed to get there. The transformation of the former Chapelcross nuclear power station site in Annan into a renewable energy hub demonstrates the impact of investment as it leads the way in research, development and deployment. That transformation is bringing quality, skilled jobs and employment to the south, which is only one example of how the just transition delivers real economic benefits across our country.
However, the benefits cannot come at the expense of local communities and their right to be heard when decisions are made about where that investment goes and what it delivers. I want to see international best practice, which means not only consulting communities but involving them in the planning process from the very beginning.
As I said earlier, Mr Carson mentioned many groups and people who have contacted me, and it is something that we really—