HC Deb 12 February 1962 vol 653 cc898-9
18. Mr. J. Rodgers

asked the Minister of Power if he will give a general direction to the Electricity Council to take out overall insurance policies to protect consumers whose machinery and appliances are damaged as a result of power failures.

Mr. Wood

No, Sir. Legislation recognises that some failures cannot be avoided, and in such cases the boards are protected against prosecutions for the statutory penalty. The Council is aware of this problem and is considering what can be done. It proposes first to approach the manufacturers' and contractors' associations to see if protective devices can be improved and more widely installed.

Mr. Rodgers

Is my right hon. Friend aware that several of my constituents have had domestic appliances damaged by voltage faults and failures? Is he further aware that the Chairman of the North-Western Area Electricity Board has said that consumers should take out private insurance policies to cover themselves against this? As the electricity boards are a nationalised monopoly, and some of the failures are due to human error, surely it is not out of the question to ask that the boards should at least take out overall policies to cover the failures due to human error by the people working in a nationalised industry?

Mr. Wood

I do not think that it is right for my hon. Friend to suggest that the responsibility should be placed on the Electricity Council, or indeed on the Generating Board, because they are not in direct contact with consumers. Area boards, which are in direct contact with consumers, have certain responsibilities and obligations which can be legally enforced, but I do not think that it would be possible to do as my hon. Friend suggests and place on area boards the responsibility for any failure for whatever reason it may take place.