§ 82. Captain Duncanasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will, in conjunction with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, repeat the request made in 1956 to the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board not to increase its charges in spite of an accumulated loss at the end of 1956 of £612,000, and ask the Board instead to rely on increases in consumption of electricity and economies in management to offset the accumulated loss.
§ Mr. MaclayI presume my hon. and gallant Friend is referring to the general appeal to keep prices steady made to industry by the Prime Minister in January of last year. Despite the adverse effect of drought in 1955 and the early months of 1956 on its finances, the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board complied with this request, but it has now indicated that, having regard to the financial results for 1956 and its general financial position, it will have to reconsider its tariffs.