Like most people I am worried about the increasing cost of gas and electricity, both in terms of how much money we have to pay for it and the cost to the environment of how it is produced.

We buy large amounts of energy from other countries, which means we are dependent on those countries being willing to sell to us. I want us to be as self-sufficient as possible which is why I welcomed the statement in the House of Commons just over a week ago that new nuclear power stations should form part of our future plans for generating electricity.

I know that not everyone agrees, but I do think we are facing an energy crisis and we cannot go on producing energy in a way that increases the amount of carbon emissions on our planet. Some people tell me that we can solve all our problems by using wind, wave and solar power. I wish we could.

Unfortunately, realistically these new technologies will not meet the massive demands that we as a population generate. That doesn’t mean that we won’t continue to invest in these renewable sources of energy, we need to have a wide range of different technologies so that we are not dependent on just one source.

Nuclear power currently provides us with around 19% of our energy requirements, and it is one of the cheapest ways of generating electricity as well as reducing our carbon emissions.

I understand however, that while people obviously will be happy with cheaper fuel bills they are also worried about the safety of nuclear power and how we dispose of the waste. We need to have the most effective protection in the world for the operation of these power stations. We also need to make sure that the waste is properly dealt with in as safe and secure a manner as possible.

If we can get these two issues right I hope people will welcome a new generation of nuclear power plants as an important step in making sure we meet our energy needs but also protect the environment.