§ Mr. McGradyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made with his proposals to introduce an element of competition into the generation and supply of electricity in Northern Ireland; and what plans he has to refer the matter to the Monopolies Commission.
§ Mr. Tim SmithAs a result of the restructuring of the electricity industry and the sale of the four power stations in March 1992 to three independent companies, competition has been successfully introduced into the generation of electricity in Northern Ireland. The Director General of Electricity Supply for Northern Ireland is charged with the task of introducing arrangements to facilitate the development of competition in supply. The director general reported on his plans for this on 16 December 1993. Any question of a Monopolies Commission reference is a matter for the director general in the first instance. I am not aware that he considers there is any need for this at present.