Underground Storage (Hansard, 3 December 1962)

§ 40. Mr. Albu
asked the Minister of Power when he expects to receive the report of the committee on underground storage of gas.

§ Mr. Wood
I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave my hon. Friend, the Member for Willesden, East (Mr. Skeet) on 18th July. In accordance with the undertaking I then gave, I have consulted outside interests on the form this legislation should take and I am now considering the views they have expressed.

§ Mr. Albu
Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that whatever mistakes the gas industry may have made in the way it originally dealt with this matter, the industry is at present being seriously held up? In view of the substantial adjustments and technological changes which the industry is making, may I ask whether he can speed up legislation in order to help it?

§ Mr. Wood
As I think the hon. Member knows, I am anxious to make progress. I examined this matter through an inter-Departmental committee and came to the conclusion that this was a safe and practicable means of storage if places could be found. Therefore, I announced that I was going to bring in public legislation eventually. Consultation would be necessary before that and I am afraid that at the moment I cannot give any undertaking as to when it will be possible to introduce legislation on this matter.

§ Sir G. Nicholson
My right hon. Friend will remember that there were certain complications in connection with the Winchester proposals. Will he give an assurance that in future legislation will avoid such a position in which the House and the country was faced with practically a fait accompli which met general opposition and had to be withdrawn?

§ Mr. Wood
I remember the complications to which my hon. Friend draws my attention. I was not faced with a fait accompli. All I was faced with was the gas industry bringing in a Private Bill to do this. The House never discussed the matter and had a perfect right to reject it. The Bill was withdrawn before the House discussed it.

§ Sir G. Nicholson
Is my right hon. Friend telling the House that it was introduced without his knowledge? I am sure that that was not the case. Did he not give a sort of approval to its being brought in?

§ Mr. Wood
Indeed, I did exactly that. I gave approval to the Bill being brought in because I thought it was a matter which the House should have a chance of discussing. The Bill was introduced but the House expressed its views strongly about it and it was withdrawn.