§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the consultations between his Department and the Scottish Office about the planning conditions which may be applied to the proposed electricity interconnector between Scotland and Northern Ireland. [6679]
§ Mr. MossThe proposed electricity interconnector comprises a Scottish leg, an undersea cable and a Northern Ireland leg. Separate public inquiries were held in Scotland and in Northern Ireland into the proposal, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, and I concluded that it would be appropriate to announce our conclusions on the separate legs of the proposal simultaneously. This was done on 21 November 1996. Before the announcements, my right hon. Friend and I notified each other of our proposed decisions.