HC Deb 03 March 1976 vol 906 cc1287-8
2. Mr. Gordon Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on power station closures.

The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Mr. Bruce Millan)

The South of Scotland Electricity Board recently announced its intention to close Clyde's Mill and Portobello Power Stations on 31st March 1977. Decisions on power station closures are a matter for the appropriate electricity board.

Mr. Gordon Wilson

Is the Minister aware that as recently as 29th October 1975 he indicated that there would be no such power station closures this year? Will he indicate to the House what effect the 3,000 additional megawatts coming on stream fairly shortly will have on existing power stations in Scotland? Further, what will be the effect of the additional nuclear capacity?

Mr. Millan

The hon. Gentleman's supplementary questions go much wider than his original Question. I point out that 1977 is not this year and therefore my previous answer was perfectly accurate. These are two very small stations by modern standards. The House might care to know that their total coal consumption is less than 90,000 tons per year, whereas the total consumption of the South of Scotland Electricity Board is about 9 million tons per year. In this instance we are dealing with very small amounts.

Mr. Alexander Wilson

Has my hon. Friend had a meeting recently with the South of Scotland Electricity Board and the Scottish area of the National Union of Mineworkers? If that meeting has been held as was promised, have the Government made any representations to these boards and other bodies that from now on they should settle for coal-burning stations rather than those using oil or any other fuel?

Mr. Millan

The meeting, which has been held, included the Central Electricity Generating Board, the two Scottish boards, the National Coal Board and the respective trade unions. I attended that meeting. There will be a separate working party, which I shall chair, dealing with the Scottish situation. We have a very strong interest in getting the maximum amount of coal burnt in power stations in Scotland, and that will be one of the objectives of my chairing that working party.