HC Deb 02 February 2004 vol 417 cc648-9W
Mr. Wiggin

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the security of the power supply in Wales. [151771]

Mr. Timms

The Government attach great importance to maintaining reliable energy supplies—it is one of the four key goals of energy policy identified in our Energy White Paper, published last year.

As the transmission licensee in England and Wales, National Grid Transco (NGT) is under an obligation to operate and maintain an efficient, economic and coordinated electricity system.

In its Winter Outlook, NGT assessed the risks to gas and electricity security of supply for England and Wales during the winter of 2003–04. The report predicted a generating plant margin of just over 16 per cent. for the winter and stated that, Under most scenarios network security can be maintained without any interruption of firm gas supplies or electricity demand.

Since the report, more generating plant has been returned from mothballs, and the projected plant margin for England and Wales has increased to just over 20 per cent., a similar level to last year.

To monitor developments in the electricity market in the medium to long term, the Department of Trade and Industry is working, with Ofgem, through the Joint Energy Security of Supply working group (JESS). The latest JESS report was published on 12 November and copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.