§ 64. Mr. Nabarroasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will state the aggregate installed capacity, M.W.I., of all hydro-electric works owned by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board at 1st July, 1953, or latest convenient date; the capital expenditure incurred by the Board to that date; the capital vested in the Board at 1st July, 1953; and what part of it, and the amount, is represented by sums advanced, or otherwise invested, by the National Debt Commissioners.
§ Mr. J. StuartI am informed by the Board that the total installed capacity at82W 1st July, 1953, of all hydro-electric works owned by them was 397 megawatts. The capital expenditure incurred at that date including expenditure on assets transferred to the Board on nationalisation, expenditure on distribution and expenditure on works not yet in operation was approximately £88.5 million; and the Board's issued capital was £82 million, of which £57 million of stock was issued to the National Debt Commissioners and £25 million of stock was a public issue. In addition, approximately £8.5 million of compensation stock was issued to the public by the British Electricity Authority in respect of assets vested in the Board, who will be issuing stock of the same value to the authority in due course.
§ Mr. Nabarroasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average load factor of all water-power establishments, excluding thermal and diesel power stations, owned by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, and measured as an average over the first six months of 1953, or nearest comparable period; and what special efforts he is making to raise the relatively low load-factor of such new establishments as those in the Moriston and Breadalbane schemes.
§ Mr. J. StuartAs I indicated in reply to my hon. Friend's Question on 17th February last, the average load factor in 1952 of all hydro-electric works owned by the Board was 27.7 per cent., including Sloy—which was designed as a peak load station—or 36.4 per cent., excluding Sloy. I am informed that the figures for the first six months of this year are approximately the same. The load factor of the demand in the Board's area in 1952 was about 38 per cent., and, as the load factors of the Moriston and Breadalbane Schemes will be about 43½ per cent. and 40 per cent. respectively, I cannot agree that they are relatively low.