Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Scotland – in the House of Commons at 2:30 pm on 15 November 2005.
The hon. Gentleman will know that my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy said on Friday that the Government intended to extend powers under section 185 so that an advantage could be given to the generation of electricity on the islands. It will be well worth examining that.
I assume that the proposal would apply to Thurso. I understand that the hon. Gentleman owns a large amount of water in the north of Scotland, if not all of it—I declare an interest for him since he forgot to do that. I shall have a word with my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy to determine whether anything can be done. The hon. Gentleman is right that electricity can be generated on a small and local basis. Indeed, that is one of the things that my hon. Friend Mark Lazarowicz wants to encourage. My hon. Friend's Bill received its Second Reading on Friday, so I hope that that will encourage such activity.