Energy: Scotland

The Duke of Montrose
asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Evans of Temple Guiting on 19 December 2005 (WA 203), to what extent the Department of Energy and Climate Change has responsibility in Scotland for the subject matter of Part I of the Electricity Act 1989; and to what extent it has been devolved under the Scotland Act 1998; and [HL5869]

If the consent for overhead lines above 20 kva has been devolved to the Scottish Executive, what mechanism is available for the simultaneous upgrading of any interconnectors between Scotland and England once the present programme is completed. [HL5870]

The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change & Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)
The administrative functions under the Electricity Act 1989 of consenting overhead electric lines (Section 37) and generating stations (Section 36) and associated wayleaves in Scotland (Schedule 4), previously carried out by the Secretary of State for Scotland were transferred to Scottish Ministers. There is no statutory mechanism for the simultaneous upgrading of the interconnector between Scotland and England. As with any network development, it will be for the network companies responding to need to ensure the necessary infrastructure is put in place. The internal market in electricity (IMED) rules place an obligation on operators to provide to the operator of any other system with which its system is interconnected sufficient information to ensure the secure and efficient operation, co-ordinated development and interoperability of the interconnected system.