§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the plans of Northern Ireland Electricity to lay the undersea portion of the Scotland to Northern Ireland electricity interconnector. [23724]
§ Mr. MacdonaldThe plans of Northern Ireland Electricity have been examined in detail. The undersea portion of the proposed Scotland-Northern Ireland interconnector is planned to pass to the north of the Beaufort's Dyke explosives disposal area. Consideration has been given to the detailed seabed surveys undertaken on behalf of Northern Ireland Electricity which have allowed the planned cable route to be optimised in order to avoid a wide range of natural obstructions and dumped 441W munitions. A number of unidentified objects have been located electronically and Northern Ireland Electricity is confident that the proposed method of installation by water jetting will allow these objects to be avoided. The Government have therefore accepted Northern Ireland Electricity's conclusion that the risk of disturbance is minimal.