#edmilibandmp — Public Fediverse posts

SWANSEA: City’s university joins £65m national mission to overhaul UK nuclear power

The Swansea institution will be a key partner in the new DRIVERS (Developing Researchers with an Interdisciplinary Vision for Engineering Reactor Systems) initiative.

The project brings together experts from Swansea University, Imperial College London, Bangor University, the University of Bristol, and the University of Manchester.

The UK Government says the funding, delivered by UK Research and Innovation, will train a new generation of scientists to secure Britain’s energy future.

Swansea’s specialists will focus on critical areas including reactor physics, thermal hydraulics, and the structural integrity of advanced reactor components.

The team will also develop innovative digital tools designed to accelerate the design and operation of future nuclear reactors.

It comes as the government announces a total overhaul of the nuclear planning system to build new infrastructure faster and cheaper.

The move is part of a wider mission to end Britain’s dependence on “volatile” foreign fossil fuel markets and deliver homegrown power.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “We need to go further and faster to build the clean energy we need to get off volatile fossil fuel markets.”

The DRIVERS programme is one of seven research initiatives backed by the new funding, which will be matched by industry partners.

Across the UK, more than 500 doctoral students will be trained to support the clean energy mission and the national nuclear deterrent.

The government believes the “clean energy superpower” mission will support tens of thousands of skilled jobs nationwide by 2030.

Swansea University’s involvement ensures the city plays a part in research of “critical importance” to national security.

It follows other major local developments, such as the £130k permanent Covid memorial planned for the seafront.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves added: “To build national resilience, drive energy security and deliver economic growth, we need nuclear.”

“We’re overhauling the system, getting rid of duplicative or overly complex guidance that has been holding back our nuclear ambitions.”

The investment is expected to support 65,000 highly skilled, well-paid jobs across the sector over the next decade.

Llanelli mining families win pension justice after decades of campaigning

Around 150 former mineworkers and their families in Llanelli are set to receive increased pension payments following changes to the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) announced in the Budget.

The adjustment will see an average uplift of £100 a week for eligible members, with payments backdated and expected to begin before the end of the year.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the change would deliver a 41% uplift to annual pensions for 40,000 former mineworkers across the UK, with payments backdated and expected to begin before the end of the year.

“A victory for relentless campaigning”

Dame Nia Griffith, MP for Llanelli, welcomed the announcement, saying:

“For far too long former miners in Llanelli have had to wait for the pension settlement they deserve. I am pleased to see a Labour Government taking decisive action to finally end this injustice and deliver what is rightfully owed back to mining families.”

Griffith has campaigned alongside ex-pit workers and other MPs representing coalfield communities to secure the change, which builds on previous action taken on the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme.

Government and union response

Ed Miliband said the transfer of the investment reserve was a response to long-standing calls from campaigners:

“We owe the mining communities who powered this country a debt of gratitude. I pay tribute to those who have fought for a fair deal — without them this would not have happened.”

Chris Kitchen, General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers, said:

“The additional pensions this will provide will benefit not just the pensioners but our former mining communities.”

Welsh Liberal Democrats welcome move

David Chadwick, Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson, also welcomed the announcement, saying:

“This is welcome news for the roughly 4,000 former miners who were denied full access to their pension pots in last year’s budget. I am proud to have been the only Welsh MP to consistently press the UK Government to right this historic injustice.”

He added that many former miners now suffer ill health as a result of their work, and said it was only right they receive the full pension support they’ve long been owed.

What happens next

The trustees of the BCSSS are expected to begin uplifted payments before the end of the year, with adjustments backdated to align with previous changes made to the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme.

The announcement follows years of campaigning by former mineworkers and their representatives, and marks a significant change in how surplus investment reserves are handled within the scheme.

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