Speaking in a radio interview this morning, Mr Huhne said there was a "very clear signal from investors that they are going ahead with nuclear", but again stated that any majority vote in parliament in favour of nuclear new build would come "providing there is no specific public subsidy for nuclear".

"I believe that investors will go ahead and that we will have a new suite of nuclear power stations," said Mr Huhne. "We are on course to make sure the first nuclear power plant opens on time in 2018."

Mr Huhne was responding to calls by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) for the new UK coalition government to make progress on energy and planning reforms within "the next six months".

"Timely decisions have got to be at the forefront of ministers' minds when they are thinking about planning reforms", said CBI spokesperson Neil Bentley.

"Investors are very worried at the moment because we aren't seeing the same sort of 'push' from government on nuclear new build (as the previous government)," he said.

The UK's new coalition government, formed by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, is set to abolish the Infrastructure and Planning Commission (IPC), a body established by the previous Labour government to streamline applications for major infrastructure projects including nuclear new build.

"All the arrangements which the previous government had put in place to accelerate planning permission are being maintained," said Mr Huhne.

"We intend to replace the Infrastructure and Planning Commission so that, in the last resort, there is a political decision (on nuclear new build) taken by the secretary of state rather than a decision by the IPC."

He added that it has "always been clear that the next generation of electricity (generating) power stations are going to be built by private investors with a framework put in place of, for example, a carbon price floor (mechanism) and the European Emissions Trading Scheme."