HC Deb 20 December 1991 vol 201 cc376-7W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what discussions he has had with the director general of OFFER regarding his report on the distribution and transmission system performance in the electricity supply industries of England. Wales and Scotland 1990–91, the league table of relative interruptions per 100 customers included in it and the powers available to the director general to improve the performance of the poorest performing distribution companies;

(2) what consultations he has had with the director general of the Office of Electricity Regulation concerning the level of supply interruptions to electricity consumers in the South Wales Electricity company area; and what remedial actions have been proposed by the director general.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory

My right hon. Friend and I meet the Director General of Electricity Supply from time to time and we discuss a range of issues.

We welcome the publication of information of the kind included in the director general's report on the reliability of the electricity supply industry's transmission and distribution systems. This is a good illustration of the openness of the new regulatory regime. The director general has already stated that he will consider this information carefully as part of the transmission and distribution price control reviews that he will be undertaking.