§ 19. Mr. Maclennanasked the Minister of Power if he will give a direction to the Scottish Gas Board that in determining what new supplies of gas shall be made available it takes into consideration the power requirements of future industrial development.
§ Mr. MarshIn determining what new supplies of gas shall be made available, the board takes all relevant factors into account, including the cost of affording such supplies and the revenue expected.
§ Mr. MaclennanIs the Minister aware that the recent decision of the Scottish Gas Board not to increase the supply of gas to Wick and Thurso appears to run counter to the Government's expressed intention of developing that area—expressed in the Scottish Economic Plan—is frustrating the efforts of the local authorities there to attract industry to the area and appears not to have been made in consultation with the Highland Development Board, which is also involved in developing the area?
§ Mr. MarshI will certainly look into the point raised in the last part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question. As for the rest, the board's decision not to take on additional business at Wick and Thurso has been the subject of representations to the Scottish Gas Consultative Council and to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. The 1412 problem is that area gas boards have a duty to provide as efficient and economical a service as possible for all their consumers. They must, therefore, consider to what extent it would be right for losses made in particular areas to be made for the generality of consumers.