§ Norman LambTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information she has received on the number of people employed in maintenance work in relation to the electricity supply network(a) in the last 12 months and (b) the last 12 months before privatisation. [80933]
§ Mr. Wilson[holding answer 18 November 2002]: Our study on the Resilience of the Electricity Transmission and Distribution systems carried out by BPI (May 2002) showed that although overall staff numbers have declined, it was very difficult to make direct comparisons between the situation now and how it was pre-privatisation. Organisational boundaries, working practises and technological advances have changed the way companies operate and they all vary in the extent to which they employ direct labour or outsource work.