John Beddington

This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

Sir John Beddington was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government from 2008-2013. An expert in applied population biology, he is now an adviser at the Oxford Martin School. He is also an Honorary Principal Research Fellow at Imperial College London.

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In 2012-13 Professor Beddington led a panel of senior scientists calling for UK investment in nuclear technologies. The group published a report in March 2013 which made recommendations 'to help rejuvenate the UK's nuclear industry and keep the lights on over coming decades'. In a statement, Beddington said that:

I am convinced that nuclear power will play a pivotal role in the UK’s energy future. The requirement for nuclear power may exceed current plans for new build, perhaps substantially. It’s therefore crucial that we keep a wide range of technological options open so that we are able to meet this potential demand in a safe and sustainable manner. Today’s announcements on R&D and on skills are the first steps in doing exactly that.

One of the conclusions of my work last year was that important research in the UK could be hindered through lack of access to the right facilities. I am therefore delighted that significant funding has been allocated today to provide those facilities in the future." New funding includes £15 million for a new world class National Nuclear Users Facility and £12.5 million to join the Jules Horowitz Test Reactor which is being constructed in France to test materials for nuclear fusion applications.

The expert group included, among others: Professor David McKay, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC); Professor John Perkins, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and former Principal of Imperial's Faculty of Engineering, and Professor Robin Grimes.

Affiliations

• Ad Hoc Nuclear Research and Development Advisory Board

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