§ Lord DAVIES of LEEKMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress is being made with the power station at Grain, which is scheduled to be the largest oil burning power station in Europe by the year 1978.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of ENERGY (Lord Balogh)My Lords, I am informed by the Central Electricity Generating Board that the present programme of construction of Grain Power Station envisages that the first two 660 MW units will be commissioned in 1976, the third unit in 1977 and the fourth and fifth units in 1978.
§ Lord DAVIES of LEEKMy Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that reply. Are we to understand that this power station is on schedule for 1978? Amid the large rise in the price of oil, may I ask my noble friend whether there is any change of plan? Will this mighty power station, which would have been the biggest in the world, use more coal than oil in this transitional period?
§ Lord BALOGHMy Lords, so far as the first part of the supplementary question of the noble Lord, Lord Davies of Leek, is concerned, may I suggest that there has been a slippage of a year in the first generating sets. On the other hand, it is now expected that the third, fourth and fifth sets will be commissioned a year earlier than originally envisaged, so one can say that the power station as a whole is on time. With regard to the second part of the supplementary question, of course it will depend on the availability 214 of coal. The Central Electricity Generating Board is burning as much coal as it can get.
§ Lord POPPLEWELLMy Lords, would not the noble Lord agree that it is silly to remark that the Electricity Board are burning as much coal as they can get? There is ample coal in the country, provided it is won. Instead of pinning our faith on import oil, with all the additional costs that that would involve—particularly when one thinks of what has taken place in the last few months—would it not be advisable to investigate the prospects for the coal that is available, provided it is won?
§ Lord BALOGHMy Lords, my noble friend should look at the report of the expert committee which has been investigating the coal industry and its prospects, and which was fully supported by all the unions.
§ Lord DAVIES of LEEKMy Lords, I am grateful for the reply of my noble friend the Minister. But on the law of probability, are we not entitled to say that we are more likely to win enough coal at an economic price than oil?
§ Lord BALOGHMy Lords, that is a very hopeful statement, and I join with my noble friend Lord Davies of Leek in his hopefulness.
§ Lord WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, can the noble Lord say whether any provision is being made for dual-firing in this power station?
§ Lord BALOGHMy Lords, in some of the power stations there is such a provision. In others, which are so situated that they favour one or other of the fuels, the answer is, No.