Britain: An official handbook > 1956

INDUSTRY
175
Scotland
The North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board was set up in 1943 as a non-profit-
making body to develop the water-power resources of the Highlands and Islands
and to distribute electricity in the more sparsely populated parts of Scotland not
covered by existing undertakings. It is a non-functional board, consisting of a
chairman, deputy chairman and not fewer than three nor more than seven other
members, who are all part-time members without departmental responsibilities,
appointed by the Secretary of State for Scotland.
The Act of 1947 made the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board solely respon¬
sible to the Secretary of State for Scotland for all generation and distribution in its
area. This area was extended under the Act to include that part of Scotland north
and west of a line running roughly from Dumbarton on the Firth of Clyde to a
point just north of Newburgh on the Firth of Tay. In the rest of Scotland, the
Central Authority, then known as the British Electricity Authority, together with
the South-East and South-West Scotland Electricity Boards, was responsible to the
Minister of Fuel and Power in all electricity matters.
On 1 st April 1955, the South of Scotland Electricity Board, answerable to the
Secretary of State for Scotland, took over the Central Authority’s functions in
Scotland, and also the functions of the two Scottish Area Boards, which were
dissolved. The Board consists of a chairman, deputy chairman, two full-time and
five part-time members. Under the Electricity Reorganization (Scotland) Act, 1954,
the Minister of Fuel and Power retained only three functions in regard to electricity
in Scotland, namely, to act jointly with the Secretary of State in regard to staff
pensions and safety measures, and to remain solely responsible for the certification
of meters.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland the bulk of electricity is acquired by the Northern Ireland
Joint Electricity Committee set up by statute in 1948, for sale to statutory distribu¬
tion undertakings. Of these the Electricity Board for Northern Ireland distributes
electricity throughout the country with the exception of the cities of Belfast and
Londonderry, where it is carried out by municipal undertakings.
Generation
Almost the whole of Britain’s electricity is produced in coal-fired steam genera¬
ting stations. Abundant supplies of coal together with good rail and water transport
for moving it, in contrast with the remote and scattered location of relatively small
water-power resources, led to this preponderant development of electricity supplies
from thermal generating stations. The development of hydro-electricity on any
scale is comparatively recent.
The setting up of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board in 1943 marked
the beginning of a new era of intensive water-power development in the Highlands
of Scotland. A development scheme drawn up by the Board in 1944, showing the
water-power resources which it proposed to examine, listed 102 hydro-electric
projects with an estimated annual output of 6,274 million units of electricity. The
ultimate output of Highland hydro-electric power is expected to be substantially
higher and eventually may exceed 10,000 million units. In 1954, 1,184 million units
were generated from this source compared with 322 million in 1949.
In 1954, 70,993 million units (one unit=one kilowatt-hour), or 96-8 per cent of
the public supply in Great Britain, was generated at steam stations, 2,237 million
units, or 3 -o per cent, from water power, and 143 million units by other means, e.g.,
diesel and waste heat and refuse destruction. The high rate of expansion of output,