Britain's Labs - The National Nuclear Laboratory

Nuclear energy is, many argue, likely to be an important component of the country's quest for green energy. As a result, the National Nuclear Laboratory in Cumbria is working with renewed vigour on the science of the next generation of nuclear power stations, and on the thorny questions of the storage and disposal of radioactive materials. But for all the activity, presenter Iain Stewart finds that at the heart of the site is a £250 million laboratory that has never been used. It is waiting for the government go-ahead amid continuing public disquiet about the cost and the consequences of nuclear energy. It's a doubt echoed by Jonathan Porritt who thinks that the scientists' optimism about a nuclear future might be misplaced. Producer: Susan Marling A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4.