§ 50. Captain SIDNEY HERBERTasked the Minister of Transport whether he can make any statement as to the present position of the application made by the London Power Company, Limited, to the Electricity Commissioners for consent to instal an additional unit of generating plant in the new Battersea power station?
§ The MINISTER of TRANSPORT (Mr. Oliver Stanley)The London Power Company have applied to the Electricity Commissioners for consent to instal an additional generator unit. The Commissioners have informed me that their sanction to the proposal will be coupled with a condition limiting the output to a figure within the capacity of the existing plant and no sanction would, of course, be given to any extension of the coal-burning plant at the station until the Commissioners, in agreement with the Minister of Health and the First Commissioner of Works, are satisfied that the gas-washing plant already installed is working efficiently in connection with the existing boiler plant.
At the request of the London County Council the Commissioners met representatives of the County Council and of the city of Westminster, the Royal borough of Kensington and the borough of Chelsea. After learning of the condition proposed to be attached to any consent, and in view of the assurances given that there would be adequate opportunity for these authorities to consider any subsequent proposals for further developments at the new Battersea power station, the four councils do not now offer any objection to the present proposal. In all the circumstances, the Minister of Health and the First Commissioner of Works concur with me that there is no objection to the additional generator unit 2178 being sanctioned, and I have informed the Electricity Commissioners accordingly. I understand that the additional set would provide about one year's employment for 1,400 men.