Britain must press ahead with new coal and nuclear power stations, Business Secretary John Hutton has told delegates at the Labour Party conference.

He said there was an "international battle" for energy security, with much of the world's resources in "unstable" regions.

The speech comes a day after a report claimed the UK economy could receive a £30 billion boost, creating thousands of highly skilled new jobs, through the construction of new nuclear power stations.

Research published by US engineering giant Westinghouse showed that construction and supply firms across the country would win valuable work if new reactors were given the green light.

Mr Hutton dismissed protests from environmental lobbyists campaigning against a new generation of nuclear and coal-fired power plants and insisted that the Government took its climate change responsibilities seriously.

He said: "Coal is a critically important fuel for the UK. Flexible. Available. And it will help us reduce our reliance on imported gas."

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