§ Baroness Denton of Wakefieldasked Her Majesty's Government:
What proportion of the £60 million allocated from 1996–97 to defray high electricity charges in Northern Ireland is still unspent, whether the recommendations of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that the money should be used for 190WA investment in energy efficiency will be followed; and which agencies other than Northern Ireland Electricity and the Office for the Regulation of Electricity and Gas will be involved in discussions about the most effective use of these funds.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Dubs)Forty-five million pounds of the £60 million subvention remains to be spent. The Department of Economic Development has already engaged a very wide range of interests in considering how best the subvention might be used. In September 1995 it initiated extensive public consultation on the matter. The responses received from a broad spectrum of interest groups revealed consensus in using the funds to help all consumers meet rising electricity costs, and on energy efficiency measures.
This outcome reflected the recommendation contained in the report of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on Electricity Prices in Northern Ireland. Consistent with it, the department is now considering how best the remaining £45 million might be spent on measures aimed at reducing electricity prices and on energy efficiency schemes. It hopes to make an announcement in the near future.