London: Britain is all set to go ahead with the next generation of nuclear power stations across the country. The government will give the go-ahead for the new era of nuclear power despite fierce opposition from British MPs and environmentalists, leading newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported here today.

"We will take the difficult decisions on energy security -- on nuclear power and renewables -- so British invention and innovation can claim new markets for new technologies and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs," Prime Minister Gordon Brown was quoted as saying.

Greenpeace forced the government to launch a further study of the plans earlier this year after judges ruled that the initial decision-making process was flawed. Greenpeace is likely to try to halt the plans again.

However, British Ministers are confident that their "wide-ranging" five-month consultation will lead to a pro-nuclear outcome, according to the daily. John Hutton, the Business Secretary, who is expected to make the announcement soon, has refused to divulge details of how many reactors the government would like to see built.

But, according to Steve Webb, the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, "Nobody believes that this second consultation on nuclear power was any more genuine than the first.

It is obvious that the Government has already made its decision." The daily has claimed that a number of Labour MPs are expected to oppose the plans.

Source : PTI