§ Sir J. Gilmourasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many complaints have been received by the South of Scotland Electricity Board about low voltage in its electricity supply in the County of Fife in the latest year for which figures are available; and whether he will issue a general direction, in the public interest, to the Board to ensure that such deficiencies are rectified before the opening of the new power station at Longannet.
§ Mr. RossI am informed by the Board that in the year to 31st March, 1965, it received 261 complaints in its Fife area on this score. One-third of these referred to variations in voltage which, on investigation, were found to be within the statutory limits, and in some cases the same incident was the subject of more than one complaint. Overall 218 of the complaints were dealt with satisfactorily.
The rectification of these difficulties turns on the Board's ability—in financial 257W and physical terms—to reinforce or adjust its distribution network to meet increasing loads at the points of consumption and not on the completion of individual power stations. A direction would serve no useful purpose as it is already Board's policy to carry this work out as quickly as is practicable.