§ 1. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress made on the construction of the Longannet Power Station in Fife; and when the first supplies of electricity may be expected to flow.
The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Dr. J. Dickson Mahon)Construction is at an advanced stage, and I am informed that generation of electricity is expected to start before the end of this year.
§ Mr. HamiltonCan my hon. Friend say whether it is behind schedule, and if so by how much, and for what reasons? Is he satisfied that the Longannet mines will be in a position to supply the power station with coal when it is in full production?
§ Dr. MabonThe answer to the first point is, "Yes, it is behind time by six 580 months." The reasons are certain labour troubles, delivery of steel work for the peculiar kind of construction that is taking place there, and adverse weather. The answer to the second point is that we are confident that the full load of 5 million tons could be met by the pits nearby.