The Organisation of the British Electricity Authority*
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1949.tb02660.x |
| Author | Henry Self |
| Date | 01 March 1949 |
| Published date | 01 March 1949 |
The
Organisation
of
the British Electricity
Authority*
By
Sir
HENRY
SELF,
K.c.B.,
K.c.M.G.,
K.B.E.
NOTE:
The Electricity Act,
1947,
established the British Electricity
Authority and made
it
responsible for the supply of electricity. The
distribution
of
electricity
is
the responsibility of the
14
Area Boards, which
were also created by the Act, and which receive bulk supplies from the
British Electricity Authority. Area Boards are statutory parts
of
the Central Authority although the Central Authority is required to co-
ordinate the distribution of electricity and to exercise a general control
over the Boards.
Sir
Henry Self,
after
reviewing the history of the industry,
said that
in
making a distinction between supply and distribution
:
The Electricity Act,
1947,
gave
final
expression to a trend already well
advanced in light of developing experience. Distinction between generation
and distribution has been retained and while the former is organised
on
a national
basis and carried one step farther the co-ordination
so
successfully begun by the
Central Electricity Board, the need for the closest contact between the distributor
and the consumer is acknowledged and given effect in the
creation
of the fourteen
Area
Electricity Boards.
Before considering the general outline
of
the organisation which has been
set up under the Act some reference should be made to the preliminary preparations
for transfer of the industry which were put
in
train, pending the passing
of
the
Act, by the Organising
Committee,
whose appointment was announced by
Mr.
Shinwell
in
the House
of
Commons
on
13th May,
1947.
The primary consideration
of
the Committee had clearly to be that of setting
up
a skeleton organisation
on
which the new Authority could build, and drawing
up
some assessment
of
the major problems and difficulties
which
would have to be
solved before the vesting date. The successful preparation of arrangements for
the transfer of the industry to national control in
so
short a period of time was
due, in
no
small
measure, to the
&om
of the individual members
of
that Com-
mittee, working as a team, at a time
when
they were also
so
heavily engaged
in
the
winding
up or readjustment
of
their own undertakings.
The British Electricity Authority were setup
on
14th
August,
1947,
immediately
on
the passing
of
the Act.
In
order to make their membership complete the names
of four
of
the Area Chairmen-designate were announced a few days later and they
were appointed
as
the four Area Board
Chairmen
to serve for the first period as
Members of the Central Authority. The Central Authority,
as
now constituted,
thus came into being.
The Membership of the A4uthority has been drawn fiom a wide range of
interests, to combine the knowledge and experience which seemed most necessary
in
the
running
of a national undertaking of
this
character.
It
comprises four
full-
time Members, three part-time Members, the
Chairmen
of four of
the
Area Boards
(taken in rotation for periods of three years), and the Chairman of the
North
of
Scotland Hydro-Elect+ Board, which continues to operate over a specific area
under the provisions of the Hydro-Electric Development (Scotland) Act,
1943.
*
Extract
from
an
address given to the Institute
of
Municipal
Treasurers and Accountants
and
reproduced
by
kind
permission
of Sir
Henry
Self
and the Institute.
10
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