Prime Minister Tony Blair has acknowledged that he has changed his mind on the need for new nuclear power stations since the UK government published its Energy White Paper in 2003.

Addressing a parliamentary committee ahead of the government’s Energy Policy Review, Blair said he believed new nuclear stations were needed to tackle climate change saying: “Unless someone can show through energy efficiency and renewables you’re going to be able to cure the whole of this problem then I think that nuclear power goes back on the agenda.” However, referring to the Energy Review which is expected to recommend new nuclear development, he added: “If the review had come out with evidence that this was a bad idea, then of course my mind would have been differently made up.”