Plans for sites owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to be made available to developers were welcomed today by Business Secretary John Hutton.

Mr Hutton said: "Interest in building new nuclear power stations in the UK is strong. Planning applications for new plants are likely to focus on areas in the vicinity of existing sites and so it's welcome that the NDA is making its significant land and other assets available to the market."

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Since 10 January, when Mr Hutton invited energy companies to come forward with proposals for new nuclear power stations, there has been considerable interest from the energy industry in the role the NDA's sites could play.

NDA land, the fuel manufacturing business at Springfields and uranic material could be used in building or operating the next generation of stations, or for other commercial opportunities.

The NDA indicated on 11 January that it intended to invite proposals in due course. It has today issued a notice asking interested parties to state during the next four weeks, by 3 April, which assets they are interested in. The NDA will then consider any such responses before determining the competition process going forward.

This process does not replace the outcome of Government's Strategic Siting Assessment and any subsequent grant of development consent for new nuclear power plants.

(CD/JM)