§ Mr. MAITLANDasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that, in cases where authorised undertakers under the Electricity Supply Acts require additional supplies now before the bulk supply to be provided under the South-East England electricity scheme is available, it is the practice of the Electricity Commissioners, instead of granting sanction for the extension of existing plants, to require the undertakers to endeavour to obtain a bulk supply from the selected station to whom such undertakers will be assigned for bulk supplies when the South-East England scheme comes into force; that the power companies owning the stations later to be selected stations under the scheme thereupon offer a supply conditional on the undertakers entering into an agreement to cease generation themselves and to take from the power companies over a long period 1432W of years all the current the undertakers require in bulk at a price to be agreed now and which will be higher than the price at which the undertakers can produce in their own station, and which will be more profitable to the power company than if the supply is made when the scheme comes into operation and which results in the authorised undertakers having to scrap all their plant, which is thereupon unsaleable, and charge to their consumers a higher price than at present; and whether he will take steps to see that the supply required in such circumstances during the intermediate period is given free from such conditions?
§ Colonel ASHLEYI understand that it is the normal practice of the Electricity Commissioners, before deciding whether to grant or refuse consent to the extension of a non-selected generating station, to require the applicants to approach the Central Electricity Board or other appropriate undertakers to ascertain whether a bulk supply can be obtained in lieu of extending the non-selected station, and, if so, on what terms and conditions. I am not aware that the power companies, owning stations which have been determined to be selected stations under the South-East England scheme, offer supplies on the conditions and with the results referred to in the question, but any specific instance of this character which might be brought to their attention would be investigated by the Commissioners.