HC Deb 10 June 1988 vol 134 cc693-4W
Mr. Harry Greenway

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the progress of plans to privatise electricity.

Mr. Michael Spicer

Discussions with the industry are continuing satisfactorily and our aim is to introduce legislation at the earliest opportunity.

Dr. Michael Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is considering, in his proposals for electricity privatisation, a system of compensating owners of power stations which are not being run at any given time because they are too expensive.

Mr. Michael Spicer

Arrangements governing the future operation of power stations will be set out in the power supply contracts. These should provide proper incentives to generators to provide supplies as economically as possible.