HC Deb 28 October 1985 vol 84 c657
10. Mr. Skeet

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he proposes to restructure the electricity supply industry and the area boards.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy (Mr. Alastair Goodlad)

There are no present plans to reform the structure of the electricity supply industry.

Mr. Skeet

I am very much obliged for that succinct answer. Will my hon. Friend consider over the long term, as the coal board supplies some 80 per cent. of its coal to the CEGB, the merger of these two industries under the electricity supply industry so that we can remove a certain number of anomalies? Will he also authorise, in the intermediate term, the CEGB to supply big projects with energy direct in order to reduce their costs?

Mr. Goodlad

My hon. Friend is an expert in these matters and raises some extremely interesting points, which I shall certainly consider.

Mr. Pavitt

Although he is not completely restructuring the system, will the Minister look at the total dissatisfaction among hon. Members arising from complaints from their constituents about the way in which their bills are handled? Is he aware that the consultative committee has become a bit of a farce? If he cannot totally restructure, will he do something, especially for the elderly, about the way in which area boards handle complaints about bills?

Mr. Goodlad

In my experience, the area boards and consultative committees handle complaints extremely effectively, but if the hon. Gentleman has any particular cases in mind I hope that he will draw them to my attention.