My Lords, I declare an interest, as my wife and I were two among the 100,000 held up by the blackout on 28th August. We saw something of the terrible plight of people trying to get home from their work.

Are the Government aware that it now appears that the blackout was the result of the installation of a wrong fuse-box and that National Grid Transco has said that no one is likely to take responsibility and has made the further surprising statement that it was not the result of negligence? What are the Government doing to encourage a more serious attitude among the powers-that-be?