ELECTRICITY IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND
| Author | Murdoch MacDonald,J. M. Kay |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9485.1957.tb00214.x |
| Date | 01 February 1957 |
| Published date | 01 February 1957 |
ELECTRICITY
IN
THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND
THE North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board was instituted by a 1943
Act of Parliament to develop electricity from water power in the
Highlands and to distribute electricity in the West Highlands and
Islands. Its powers were enlarged in 1947 by a further Act of Parlia-
ment by which its responsibilities for the generation (by any means)
and the distribution of electricity were extended to include the whole
of that part of Scotland which lies north and west
of
the Firth of Tay
and the Firth of Clyde. It thus now controls the large steam stations
of Aberdeen and Dundee.
The February 1956 issue of the
Scottish Journal
of
Political
Economy
contained an article' dealing with the problem
of
whether
or not the North
of
Scotland Hydro-Electric Board is right in the
policies it carries out. The article is of interest not only for the data
it contains, but also because of its inferences
in
regard to the
'
prob-
lem
'
;
unfortunately, these inferences may lead to a complete mis-
understanding of the real position. The facts are that
'
policies
'
were
laid down in the original 1943 Act of Parliament, which set up the
Board. It is interesting to examine what that Act said about the duties
of the Board and compare them with that part of the 1947 Act which
established the British Electricity Authority. The 1943 Act said
:
'
The Board shall be responsible for initiating and undertaking the development
of all further means
of
generation of electricity by water power
.
.
.
and it
shall be the duty of the Board
so
far
as
practicable to provide supplies of
electricity required to meet the demands of ordinary consumers and also
to
collaborate in the carrying out of any measures
for
the economic development
and social improvement of the North
of
Scotland district.'
On
the other hand, the duty of the British Electricity Authority (now
the C.E.A.) is
'
to develop and maintain an efficient, co-ordinated and
economical system of electricity supply
'.
The difference is quite
apparent and is further underlined by the authority given
to
the North
of Scotland Board not only to supply electricity to those within its own
area desirous of a supply but to sell any balance to the Grid outside
its own area. The Act of 1947 made more certain the intention of the
1943 Act to supply very sparsely populated areas within the enlarged
area,
so
that they could be supplied as adequately as possible with
electricity, even
if
it became necessary to produce it by means other
than water power.
D.
L.
Munby,
'
Electricity in the North of Scotland
',
pp.
19-43.
18
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