To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the hon. Member for West Derbyshire can expect a reply to his letter of 30 January and reminder of 9 March concerning the East Midlands Electricity Consumers' Council. [81444]

The correspondence to which the hon. Member refers was, of course, given full consideration as part of the Department's consultation on consumer councils for the utilities, along with many other submissions on this subject. As a matter of courtesy, following the recent publication of our response to the consultation, 14 April 1999, Official Report, columns 263–67, I am writing to the hon. Member in full explaining the situation.