After a 20-year hiatus, Britain appears to be edging towards a decision to start construction of a new generation of nuclear power stations. The government has committed itself to making a decision before the end of next year and companies are jockeying for position to gain a slice of the expected multi-billion pound business.

But before any new plants appear - and the government maintains it has not made up its mind - important issues need to be resolved. The way they are tackled will dictate the pace and scope of construction.