HC Deb 29 March 1990 vol 170 cc661-2
8. Mr, Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the privatisation of Northern Ireland Electricity.

Mr. Brooke

A White Paper on privatisation proposals will be published later this year.

Mr, Davies

I thank the Secretary of State for that unusually helpful answer. Will he give us a likely estimate of the increase in electricity prices that will flow from privatisation on the one hand and from decoupling from the Great Britain link on the other? Can he also give us an idea of the number of jobs that are likely to be lost as a consequence of privatisation?

Mr. Brooke

Earlier this month I announced the increase in the tariff as from 1 April. That statement was made in the context of present circumstances. The Government have nothing further to say on tariffs at present and will certainly not speculate about tariff levels beyond the coming year. The principle underlying tariffs in the future will be that of charging the economic price Car producing and delivering electricity efficiently in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Kilfedder

May I make it dear that I am totally opposed to the privatisation of the Northern Ireland electricity supply because once that monopoly is placed in private hands, the price of electricity, which is already far higher than in Scotland, will increase to the detriment of industrial and domestic consumers in Northern Ireland who already suffer the highest cost of living in the United Kingdom? I say to the Government, 'Hands off our electricity."

Mr, Brooke

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for making clear beyond peradventure his attitude towards privatisation. However, as he knows, appropriate measures of regulation will accompany the introduction of privatisation.

Mr. Jim Marshal

The Secretary of State will recall that some months ago the Minister of State promised that we would have a White Paper on privatisation in the near future. That statement was made at the back end of last year, but there is still no sign of the White Paper. Will the Secretary of State tell us when, or if, that White Paper will see the light of day?

Mr. Brooke

I have already said that it will be published kW this year. The -near future- is an elastic term in Northern Ireland.