§ 31. Mr. W. Hamiltonasked the Minister of Power what arrangements exist to co-ordinate the production and sales policies of the nationalised coal, gas, and electricity industries.
§ Mr. WoodI have nothing to add to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Mother well (Mr. Lawson) on 28th March.
§ Mr. HamiltonSince the Answer did not convey anything at all to the House, is the right hon. Gentleman aware that we are no further forward? Is he aware that all of us on this side of the House know that there is provision in the original Act for co-ordination, but the Government have repeatedly said that to them co-ordination means competition? Is the right hon. Gentleman further aware that the reason for the inordinate delay in arriving at a decision on a generating station in Scotland is the direct result 638 of the Government's policy? Will the Minister take a lesson from that and seek to take active measures to encourage real co-ordination without these industries spending lots of money to get at one another's throats?
§ Mr. WoodI do not think that the hon. Gentleman has read my Answer to his hon. Friend. In it I said that I had regular meetings with the chairmen of the nationalised industries and that they had regular contacts with one another. That remains the case and is, I think, the best means of effective co-ordination in the future as it has been in the past.