Electricity (Hansard, 9 February 1994)

§ Mr. Foulkes
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which companies or organisations were invited to compete for the supply of electricity to Northern Ireland Electricity ultimately won by Scottish Power to supply it over the proposed interconnector; what was the procedure for this tender; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Tim Smith
I understand that NIE initially approached a number of generating companies including National Power plc, PowerGen plc, Electricite de France, Scottish Hydro Electric plc in addition to Scottish Power plc before entering into detailed negotiations with the latter.

§ Mr. Foulkes
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a copy of the Ove Arup report on the commercial assessment of the electricity interconnector with Scotland.

§ Mr. Tim Smith
No. This report, which contains information supplied in confidence by two privately owned companies, was commissioned by and is the property of the European Commission.

§ Mr. Beggs
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will request the Northern Ireland Electricity240W Regulator to take account of the results of a proper independent cost benefit analysis for the Province as a whole, prior to reaching a decision on the most economic source of electric power for Northern Ireland and making any future announcement.

§ Mr. Tim Smith
No. Under the terms of its licence Northern Ireland Electricity plc is required to purchase its power requirements as economically as possible and must satisfy the Director General of Electricity Supply that it has done so.