§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade whether power is still being generated for supply to the national grid on the basis of merit order of power stations based on generating cost; and whether he will publish the most recent list of power stations by that merit order, together with their generating capacity, power produced and fuel consumption.
§ Mr. EggarThe National Grid Company is required by its transmission licence to schedule and dispatch plant in accordance with a bid price merit order system, under which generators submit price bids for their stations daily and the cheapest plant hid is used first, within the technical constraints of the transmission and distribution system. Price bids are a matter for the generators. Daily information on bid prices and capacity available is not published but may be obtained from National Grid Company Settlements Ltd. Figures for power produced and fuel consumption are commercially confidential.