Lok Sabha Question No. 175 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-02-24
Subject: Civil Nuclear Deal with UK
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: KALIKESH NARAYAN SINGH DEO

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 175

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.02.2016

## CIVIL NUCLEAR DEAL WITH UK

## 175.   SHRI KALIKESH N. SINGH DEO:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India has finalized the civil nuclear deal with the United Kingdom and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  the  World  Nuclear Industry Report, 2015 which States the decline of Britain's nuclear   industry;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and its impact on the India-UK nuclear deal; and
- (d) the  rationale  behind  the  Government  opting  for  nuclear  energy  versus developing and collaborating on renewable energy?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (Dr. JITENDRA SINGH) :

- (a) An Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for Cooperation in  the  Peaceful  Uses  of  Nuclear  Energy  was  signed  on  13  November 2015,  during  the  visit  of  Hon'ble  Prime  Minister  to  U.K.  The  scope  of cooperation  inter  alia  covers  the  supply  of  nuclear  material,  non-nuclear material, equipment, components or technology, training of personnel and transfer of technology, for peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
- (b) &(c) The  U.K.  Government's  recently  stated  energy  policy  is  to  increase  the share  of  nuclear  power  in  U.K.'s  energy  mix,  to  phase  out  coal-based power. Therefore, the decrease in the share of nuclear power in 2015 in U.K. as reported by the World Nuclear Industry Report, 2015 appears to be a phenomenon unlikely to have a short term impact on the India-U.K. Agreement for  cooperation  in  peaceful  uses  of  nuclear  energy,  which  is premised  on  India's  growing  requirement  for  nuclear  power  for  its  lowcarbon  growth  strategy  as  well  as  U.K.'s  technological  expertise  in  this field.
- (d) The  Government  is  cognizant  of  the  importance  of  both  nuclear  energy and  renewable  energy  resources  for  India's  growth  strategy  fuelled  by clean  energy.  Accordingly,  cooperation  with  major  international  partners such as U.K. includes both nuclear energy and renewable energy. Some of the important initiatives between India and U.K. in the area of renewable energy announced during Prime Minister's visit to U.K. in November 2015 include :(i) setting up a new Virtual Centre on Clean Energy (ii) setting up of  India  Innovation  Lab  for  Green  Finance  (iii)  U.K.'s  support  for  India's new  Global  Solar  Alliance  initiative.  Separately,  commercial  deals  worth 3.2  billion  pounds  were  finalized  with  U.K.  in  the  area  of  clean  energy during the visit.  Similarly, Prime Minister of India and President of France jointly  launched  in  Paris  on  30  November  2015  an  International  Solar Alliance (ISA) initiative, with its headquarters  in Gurgaon,  India, to enhance the use of solar energy globally.

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