§ 83. Mr. Nabarroasked the Secretary of State for Scotland to state the reduction proposed in the capital investment programme of the South of Scotland Electricity Board.
§ Mr. J. StuartThe transfer of responsibility last year from three authorities to the South of Scotland Electricity Board made estimating for the current year specially difficult. Capital expenditure in the area in 1955 was approximately £15 million and the Board proposed to spend £20.7 million in 1956. Closer consideration made it possible to reduce this estimate to £19.1 million. This revised figure has now been reduced to £17.5 million. This second reduction of £1.6 million is attributable to distribution20W and as a result the rate at which new consumers can be connected and the scale of hiring of electrical appliances will be reduced.
§ 84. Mr. Nabarroasked the Secretary of State for Scotland to state the reduction proposed in the capital investment programme of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board.
§ Mr. J. StuartThe Board's forecast programme for 1956 was £19 million, but in response to the Government's request for curtailment of capital expenditure, it reduced this to £18.7 million. This figure will be further reduced by £300,000 to £18.4 million. Of the total curtailment of £600,000 half is attributable to generation and main transmission and the other half to distribution. These reductions will involve the deferment of the start of work on two small generating schemes in Lewis and Harris where supplies will continue to be given less economically from diesel plants, of the small mainland projects of Mucomir and Glashan, and of certain other works. It will also be necessary to reduce the rate of connecting new consumers and to curtail the hiring of electrical apparatus.