§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what growth in electricity demand is envisaged in the next three years; and what measures are being taken to meet this demand.
§ Mr. Tom Boardman:The Electricity Council forecast of the growth of maximum demand envisages that the peak demand in the winter of 1974–75, in average weather conditions, will be 47,700 megawatts, or about 16 per cent. above the comparable figure for 1971–72. By the end of 1975, the CEGB expect to have about 60,000 megawatts of generating capacity to meet this demand, taking into account stations now being built. This should provide an ample margin for any contingencies.