§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether, in estimating figures for the price per kWh of electricity produced from different kinds of fuel, the figure for coal contains all true costs, including subsidies, write-offs and Government grants to meet deficit 19W financing since nationalisation; and, if so, what is the current price of electricity production from coal, expressed as pence per kWh;
(2) whether, in estimating figures for the price per kWh of electricity produced from different kinds of fuel, the figures for nuclear power contains all true costs, including the financing of past capital expenditure on existing power stations, and of the advanced gas-cooled reactor stations at present under construction; and, if so, what is the current price of electricity production from nuclear power, expressed as pence per kWh;
(3) whether, in estimating figures for the price per kWh of electricity produced from different kinds of fuel, the figure for oil contains all true costs, including past and present North Sea exploration and development costs; and, if so, what is the current price of electricity production from oil, expressed as pence per kWh.
§ Mr. EadieFor all plant—coal, nuclear and oil—the CEGB's figures for the cost of generation incorporate fully both capital and operating costs including the cost of fuel as delivered. They therefore cover the prices charged by suppliers of coal, oil and nuclear fuel but do not reflect any factors which do not come through into prices.
The cost of generation as recorded in the CEGB's account for 1976–7 was 0.69p/kWh for Magnox stations, and 1.07p/kWh and 1.27p/kWh respectively for coal and oil stations built within the last twelve years. A comparable figure for the AGR is not yet available since only one half of an AGR station has so far been commissioned by CEGB. These figures are not of course a guide to investment decisions.