BREXIT could distract the Government from introducing policies to help tackle climate change and result in the removal of key standards, MPs have warned.

And the cross-party Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee (BEIS) said that ministers had to act “as urgently as possible” to clarify how the nuclear industry would be regulated post-Brexit.

The Commons Energy Committee has been investigating the impact of leaving the European Union on energy policy and has urged the Government to delay the country’s departure from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), Europe’s nuclear regulator. It said power supplies could be threatened if a new regulator was not in place.

In a report published yesterday, the BEIS said there was a risk that the UK would become a “rule taker, complying with but unable to influence European rules and standards”, and added that plans to leave Euratom had not been thought through.

“Ministers must act as urgently as possible,” said committee chair Iain Wright. “The repercussions of failing to do so are huge.

“The continued operations of the UK nuclear industry are at risk.”

Members said they shared the nuclear industry’s concern that it would take more than two years to reach a new deal for regulating nuclear power stations and trade.

They urged the Government to delay the UK’s exit from Euratom, or to set up transitional arrangements, which may need to be longer than the three years proposed by the European Parliament.

“The impact of Brexit on Euratom has not been thought through. The Government has failed to consider the potentially severe ramifications of its Brexit objectives for the nuclear industry,” said Wright.

The Government argues that the UK must leave Euratom as a result of the triggering of Article 50, but the report said legal opinion was divided.

Committee members said the withdrawal was an unfortunate, and perhaps unforeseen, consequence of Theresa May’s objective of ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the UK.

“Ministers must end the uncertainty and resolve the matter by securing alternative arrangements as urgently as possible,” the report added.

BEIS said the UK must remain committed to domestic climate change policies and not let Brexit undermine emissions reduction targets, which were enshrined in domestic law. It noted calls for clarity on the Government’s long-term objectives and prompt publication of the Clean Growth Plan, which had delayed since the end of last year.

At the time, Climate Change Minister Nick Hurd pledged to deliver it by the end of March, but in recent evidence to the committee said it was now “in a holding pattern” because of the surprise announcement of a General Election. However, it is now likely to be pushed back to the summer because the pre-election purdah period prohibits the Government from releasing any policy documents that could potentially impact the views of voters ahead of the June 8 poll.

In the same session at the select committee in April, Hurd claimed that up to this point the UK’s climate change “journey had been intertwined with our European partners”. The BEIS report also said there were risks if the UK started regulating areas such as energy efficiency in a different manner from the rest of the EU.

“The UK could become a dumping ground for energy inefficient products,” it said.

Wright added: “In the short term, the Government should seek to avoid disruption the energy sector and domestic climate change agenda.

“Government needs to provide as much clarity and stability as possible to support investment and avoid damaging UK competitiveness and adversely affecting consumers.

“In the long term, the UK must maintain standards and seek to retain our influence.”