§ Mr. BlizzardTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress the Steering Group on Electricity Security and Stability Issues has made in following up the recommendations made by the Consultants Merz and McLellan in the White Paper, Conclusions of the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation and Government Response to the fourth and fifth reports of the Trade and Industry Committee (Cm 4071), published in October 1998. [120544]
§ Mrs. LiddellIn the White Paper, the Government proposed a two-tier approach: an open consultancy group open to all interested parties, and a smaller steering group which would carry out most of the detailed work. The Steering Group, chaired by my Department, has published its findings today in the form of a consultation document. The group has concluded that the further work recommended by Merz and McLellan has been undertaken or is in hand and that there do not appear to be any immediate problems for the security and stability of the electricity grid system arising from the possible high levels of gas-fired generation. They have recommended that the Regulator should keep system security under review since the industry is undergoing a period of enormous change. The consultation document also addresses the individual recommendations by Merz and McLellan. Comments have been invited by Friday 16 June.
Copies of the consultation report are being circulated, in the first instance, to all those who responded to the consultation document on the Review of Energy Sources (listed in Annex G of Cm 4071). I am placing copies in the Libraries of the House. The document is also available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/ and on request from Natalia Hill, EPTAC1b, DTI, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H OET (Phone: 020 7215 6488).