NOT since the year 313 when the Roman Emperor Constantine got religion and
baptised his army by marching them through a river has there been such a
conversion. Left-wing MPs, once resolutely against civil nuclear power, are now
facing up to reality and showing some sympathy for British Energy鈥檚 鈥淩eplace
nuclear with nuclear鈥� campaign.
For example, says British Energy鈥檚 action document, a new nuclear power
station could be built on the Ayrshire coast adjacent to the existing Hunterston
nuclear installation on land already owned by British Energy. The objective
would be to build the new station when the older Hunterston nuclear reactors are
decommissioned, sometime between 2010 and 2015.
The new nuclear power station would be able to connect to the grid through
existing transmission lines and so make use of much of the present
infrastructure. What鈥檚 more, it would provide continuity of employment for a
highly skilled workforce and build on good relationships with the supportive
local communities.
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I鈥檓 all for it, as is the local MP, Brian Wilson, who just happens to be the
present energy minister. His view is that the government must examine the case
for nuclear power if it is to meet the targets for reducing the emission of
greenhouse gases that it agreed when signing the Kyoto climate treaty.
If Britain doesn鈥檛 take such action, then by 2020 it will effectively have to
produce 75 per cent of its electricity from gas and be dependent on costly
imports from Russia, north-west Africa, or the Middle East. Does Britain really
want that?
THERE was never a more urgent moment for tackling the problem of providing
developing countries with affordable drugs. And, I don鈥檛 just mean anti-anthrax
drugs. Is the group of G8 nations 鈥攖he world鈥檚 seven biggest economies
plus Russia鈥攔eady to give meaningful help to African countries? After all,
at the notoriously violent Genoa summit in July, the G8 nations pledged to set
aside $1.3 billion for a global fund to fight diseases鈥攅ven if that
is less than a fifth of the minimum that the UN says is needed.
Melanie Johnson, a junior minister in the Department of Trade and Industry
who has responsibilities for competition, consumers and markets, told me that
Prime Minister Tony Blair has made clear Britain鈥檚 position on access to
medicines in poorer countries. He asked the Performance & Innovation Unit at
the Cabinet Office to recommend a range of policy measures and a framework for
public-private partnerships, aimed at improving access while maintaining the
incentives for future research and development.
The PIU鈥檚 Report, Tackling the Diseases of Poverty, was published on 8 May
and can be downloaded from the Internet at:
www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/innovation/.
The unit concludes in the report that the only way to achieve substantial
reductions in the ravages of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in developing
countries is through a comprehensive global strategy that brings together
governments, civil society, the private sector and various multilateral
agencies.
It sets out a range of actions that national governments and the
international community could take to improve healthcare systems and health
promotion. The report also suggests ways of achieving incentives for additional
research into new, more effective health products. Johnson added that her
department would be giving further consideration to the report in the months
ahead.
Current events in Afghanistan must not be allowed to bury action on this
important report.