HC Deb 02 February 1953 vol 510 cc168-9W
Mr. Nabarro

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power now to state the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards private generation of electricity independent of the grid, in view of the observations and recommendations of the Ridley Report.

Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd

As private generation is often economically desirable, I consider that where it is clearly so there should be no discouragement of it and where there is any doubt the industrialists concerned should be free to make their own decisions. I am therefore glad that the British Electricity Authority have recently announced the intention of the boards to implement the recommendation in the Ridley Report that restrictive conditions on the use and installation of private generating plant in contracts for the supply of electricity from the grid should be abandoned.

Mr. Nabarro

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, in view of the acceptance by his Department of Recommendation 35 of the Ridley Report on the public and permanent abandonment of restrictive conditions upon private electricity generation, he will give a direction to the British Electricity Authority under Section 5 of the Electricity Act, 1947, to publish the action taken by it to implement this recommendation.

Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd

No. The British Electricity Authority have already published an announcement on the implementation of this recommendation by the electricity boards.