§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she has taken to ensure that the deadline for the introduction of a competitive market in domestic electricity supply of 1 April is met. [24324]
§ Mr. Battle[holding answer 21 January 1998]: This Government have made clear their full commitment to the successful delivery of supply competition in electricity. I have sought and obtained three reports from the Director General of Electricity Supply on the programme's progress and held meetings with industry chief executives. As a result companies are now committed having spent resources to ensuring that competition is a success and have agreed to licence modifications binding them to deliver their parts of their programme.
The Director General has now reported that market opening should commence in the middle of September 1998. However customers will benefit not only from the new price controls which are due to come into effect on 1 April 1998 but also from penalties which will take effect from the end of April.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the level of commercial losses to private sector firms arising from the delay in implementation of electricity deregulation; and if they will be compensated. [26181]
§ Mr. BattleNone. Customers including commercial customers will benefit from new price controls to take effect from 1 April 1998 and from penalties which the public electricity suppliers will incur after the end of that month.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she intends to implement simultaneous and reciprocal deregulation of domestic gas and electricity supplies; and if she will make a statement. [26180]
April to June 1997 July to September 1997 Prison Tests done Opiate positive Cannabis positive Tests done Opiate positive Cannabis positive Aberdeen 64 13 19 60 4 22 Barlinnie 376 44 30 368 39 26 Cornton Vale 46 3 1 49 4 2 Edinburgh 226 30 91 222 22 62 Glenochil 125 30 30 125 26 12 Glenochil YOI 49 1 4 50 0 4 Low Moss 117 13 23 106 14 25 Perth 135 19 45 140 17 49 Polmont 153 10 39 146 3 33 These figures include prisoners who tested positive for both opiates and cannabis in the one test.