§ 11. Mr. Palmerasked the Paymaster-General what estimate he has made of the reduction in the rate of rural electrification progress likely to be brought about in the next three years by the electricity supply capital expenditure cuts and the increase in interest rates imposed by the Government.
§ Mr. RentonIt is not possible to estimate the effect of the rephasing of capital expenditure until area boards have worked out their future capital investment programmes in detail. It is probable, however, that rural electrification will continue to develop at a relatively high rate although, even without rephasing, it would have slowed down somewhat owing to the inaccessibility of many of the farms not yet connected.
§ Mr. PalmerTaking into account the obvious ambiguity of the word "re-phasing", would not the Minister agree that the predictions which some of us made during the passage of the Electricity Act—that the rural electrification programme would be cut back—are being borne out by the events?
§ Mr. RentonNo, Sir. I would remind the hon. Member that the progress during the past twelve months, and even during the months since the passing or the Electricity Act, has been very considerable indeed, with a result that the five-year programme announced in 1953 was completed in September.
§ 14. Sir I. Fraserasked the Paymaster-General if he will give a general direction to the Central Electricity Authority to accelerate the supply of electricity to outlying farms and to horticulturists and householders in remote country districts.
§ Mr. RentonNo, Sir. The rural electrification programme is already proceeding as fast as circumstances permit. The 783 objective of providing 70 per cent. of the farms in England and Wales with a mains supply by March, 1958, has already been achieved.
§ Sir I. FraserIs not the supply of electricity to a farm or a horticultural holding the equivalent of putting another hand to work? Can there be any better investment to help us in every possible manner?
§ Mr. RentonI fully agree with my hon. Friend's view, and I am happy to be able to tell him that in the area of the North-Western Electricity Board, which includes his constituency, 81 per cent. of the farms have obtained supplies of electricity, compared with a national average of 70 per cent.
§ Mr. BowenDoes the Minister realise that there are still many villages in South Wales in which people have been told that there is no prospect of receiving electricity in those villages for at least another fifteen years?
§ Mr. RentonI do not know that that is so, but I know that the South Wales Electricity Board was second in the list of electricity boards for England and Wales in the connection of electricity to farms in the last financial year. It was a very good achievement indeed.