Electricity Act 1947

Last updated

Electricity Act 1947
Act of Parliament
Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (1901-1952).svg
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title An Act to provide for the establishment of a British Electricity Authority and Area Electricity Boards and for the exercise and performance by that Authority and those Boards and the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board of functions relating to the supply of electricity and certain other matters; for the transfer to the said Authority or any such Board as aforesaid of property, rights, obligations and liabilities of electricity undertakers and other bodies; to amend the law relating to the supply of electricity; to make certain consequential provision as to income tax; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.
Citation 10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 54
Territorial extent Great Britain
Dates
Royal assent 13 August 1947
Commencement 1 April 1948
Repealed31 March 1990
Other legislation
Amends Electricity (Supply) Acts 1882 to 1935
Repeals/revokes
Status: Partially repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Electricity Act 1947 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 54) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which nationalised, or bought into state control, the electricity supply industry in Great Britain. [1] It established a central authority called the British Electricity Authority (BEA) to own and operate all public electricity generation and transmission facilities and created 14 area electricity boards with a duty to acquire bulk supplies of electricity from the central authority and to distribute and sell electricity economically and efficiently to industrial, commercial and domestic consumers. It vested 505 separate local authority and company owned electricity undertakings in the BEA with effect from 1 April 1948. [1] [2] The Electricity Act 1947 is one of a number of acts promulgated by the post-war Labour government to nationalise elements of the UK’s industrial infrastructure; other acts include the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946; Transport Act 1947 (railways and long-distance road haulage); Gas Act 1948; and Iron and Steel Act 1949. [3]

Contents

Background

The issues of fragmentation, inefficiency and complexity of the British electricity supply industry had long been recognised. [4] [5] The Electricity (Supply) Acts 1919 and 1926 had attempted to provide central coordination and control of operations, through the creation of the Electricity Commissioners and the Central Electricity Board respectively, but with only partial effectiveness. In 1935 the government appointed a committee to examine electricity distribution under the chairmanship of Sir Harry McGowan. [5] The subsequent report recommended that new legislation should aim to give compulsory powers for larger and more efficient electricity undertakings to absorb smaller and less efficient ones. New schemes should be prepared with a view to public ownership of all undertakings. [5] A start was made in 1937 by the Electricity Commissioners to prepare schemes for districts to be consolidated into groups. These plans were not implemented before the war. [6]

The Labour leader of the London County Council, Herbert Morrison, made a speech in the House of Commons in 1936 proposing that the 600-odd electricity undertakings together with the Central Electricity Board and the Electricity Commissioners should be abolished and ownership of the industry should be vested in a National Electricity Corporation. [7]

During the Second World War the Ministry of Fuel and Power was formed in June 1942 to coordinate and assume control (from the Board of Trade) of the production and supply of electricity, coal, gas and other fuels under war-time conditions. [6] One of its first roles was to establish a Joint Committee of Electricity Supply Organisations to make recommendations on the future constitution, control and management of electricity supply. Several proposals were put forward: [6]

A reconstruction sub-committee of the Coalition Government, chaired by the Minister of Fuel and Power reported in 1943 on the future of the supply industry. [5] The committee noted that the split between ownership and control of generation had ‘inevitably involved many complications, some financial and some practical’. The Central Electricity Board had limited control over the design of power station plant, and there were tensions between commercial expediency and the national interest. The committee recommended ‘centralising in the hands of a single generating authority the ownership, and not merely the control, of the stations generating for public supply’. The recommendations formed the basis of the structure of the industry taken forward in the Electricity Act 1947.

Area electricity boards
Area elec boards.png
  1. North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board (created 1943)
  2. South West Scotland Electricity Board
  3. South East Scotland Electricity Board
  4. North Western Electricity Board
  5. North Eastern Electricity Board
  6. Yorkshire Electricity Board
  7. Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board
  8. East Midlands Electricity Board
  9. South Wales Electricity Board
  10. Midlands Electricity Board
  11. Eastern Electricity Board
  12. South Western Electricity Board
  13. Southern Electricity Board
  14. London Electricity Board
  15. South Eastern Electricity Board

The Electricity Act 1947

The Electricity Act 1947 received royal assent on 13 August 1947. Its long title is: 'An Act to provide for the establishment of a British Electricity Authority and Area Electricity Boards and for the exercise and performance by that Authority and those Boards and the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board of functions relating to the supply of electricity and certain other matters; for the transfer to the said Authority or any such Board as aforesaid of property, rights, obligations and liabilities of electricity undertakers and other bodies; to amend the law relating to the supply of electricity; to make certain consequential provision as to income tax; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid'.

Provisions

The provisions of the act comprise 69 sections in four parts, plus five schedules

Later enactments

Subsequently, the South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB), was formed by the merger of the South West Scotland Electricity Board and South East Scotland Electricity Board under the provisions of the Electricity Reorganisation (Scotland) Act 1954. [8] The functions of the Minister of Power in respect of electricity supply in Scotland were transferred to the Secretary of State for Scotland. The act also made provision for the title of the British Electricity Authority to be changed to the Central Electricity Authority. All these provisions of the 1954 act came into effect on 1 April 1955.

The Electricity Act 1957 dissolved the Central Electricity Authority and replaced it with two new statutory bodies, the Electricity Council and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).

The 1947 act and most other related British legislation were repealed and replaced by the Electricity Act 1989.

See also

Related Research Articles

The British Electricity Authority (BEA) was established as the central British electricity authority in 1948 under the nationalisation of Great Britain's electricity supply industry enacted by the Electricity Act 1947. The BEA was responsible for the generation, transmission and sale of electricity to area electricity boards, and the development and maintenance of an efficient, coordinated and economical system of electricity supply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity Act 1957</span> UK legislation to restructure the electricity industry

The Electricity Act 1957 was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom. The principal impact of the Act was the dissolution of the Central Electricity Authority, which it replaced with the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) and the Electricity Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which nationalised, or brought into state control, the coal industry in the United Kingdom. It established the National Coal Board as the managing authority for coal mining and coal processing activities. It also initially provided for the establishment of consumers' councils. The Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 was the first of a number of Acts promulgated by the post-war Labour government to nationalise elements of the UK's industrial infrastructure; other Acts include the Electricity Act 1947; the Transport Act 1947 ; the Gas Act 1948; and the Iron and Steel Act 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity Act 1989</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Electricity Act 1989 provided for the privatisation of the electricity supply industry in Great Britain, by replacing the Central Electricity Generating Board in England and Wales and by restructuring the South of Scotland Electricity Board and the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board. The Act also established a licensing regime and a regulator for the industry called the Office of Electricity Regulation (OFFER), which has since become the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gas Act 1948</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Gas Act 1948 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which nationalised, or bought into state control, the gas making and supply industry in Great Britain. It established 12 area gas boards to own and operate all public gas-making, distribution and sales facilities and created a central authority: the Gas Council. It vested the existing local authority and company-owned gas undertakings into the area boards with effect from 1 May 1949. The Gas Act 1948 was one of a number of Acts promulgated by the post-war Labour government to nationalise elements of the UK's industrial infrastructure; other Acts include the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946; the Electricity Act 1947; Transport Act 1947 ; and the Iron and Steel Act 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity (Supply) Act 1919</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Electricity (Supply) Act 1919 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which amended the law with respect to the supply of electricity. It established the statutory body of the Electricity Commissioners ‘to promote, regulate and supervise the supply of electricity’ under the direction of the Board of Trade. It provided for the formation of electricity districts and, where necessary, the establishment of joint electricity authorities, ‘to provide or secure the provision of a cheap and abundant supply of electricity’.

The Electric Lighting Acts 1882 to 1909 are acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity (Supply) Act 1926</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Electricity (Supply) Act 1926 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which amended the law on the supply of electricity. Its long title is: ‘An Act to amend the law with respect to the supply of electricity’. This Act was construed as one with the Electricity (Supply) Acts 1882 to 1922, and was cited as the Electricity (Supply) Acts 1882 to 1926. It established a statutory body, the Central Electricity Board (CEB), ‘with the duty of supplying electricity to authorised undertakers’ and to ‘appoint consultative technical committees’. It provided for the Electricity Commissioners to prepare and transmit to the CEB ‘electricity schemes’ for relevant areas, and which identified the most efficient ‘selected’ generating stations which were to be used to generate electricity for the Board. The Act provided for ‘main transmission line’ interconnections between selected stations and undertakings; and to standardise the frequency of generation; and other purposes. The provisions of the Act enabled the construction of the National Grid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity (Supply) Act 1922</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Electricity (Supply) Act 1922 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which amended the law on the supply of electricity. This Act was construed as one with the Electricity (Supply) Acts 1882 to 1919, and was cited as the Electricity (Supply) Acts 1882 to 1922. It established the powers of electricity authorities to borrow money for the construction and operation of electricity generating and transmission systems; it amended some Sections of the Electricity (Supply) Act 1919 relating to electricity districts and joint electricity authorities; it empowered electricity authorities to provide a supply to railway companies; and established methods of reclaiming expenses of various statutory bodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity (Supply) Act 1935</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Electricity (Supply) Act 1935 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which amended the law on the supply of electricity. This Act was construed as one with the Electricity (Supply) Acts 1882 to 1933, and was cited as the Electricity (Supply) Acts 1882 to 1935. It authorised the Central Electricity Board to make arrangements with owners of generating stations that were not selected stations; it authorised the Central Electricity Board to supply electricity directly to railway companies; and amended Sections 11 and 12 of the Electricity (Supply) Act 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electricity and Gas Act 1963</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Electricity and Gas Act 1963 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which increased the amounts that could be borrowed by the Electricity Council, the electricity boards, the Gas Council, and the area gas boards. It enabled monetary advances to be made to these bodies, and provided for members of the bodies to be recompensed.

Fleetwood power stations were two generating stations that supplied electricity to the town of Fleetwood, England and the surrounding area from 1900 to 1981. The first station was owned by the Fleetwood and District Electric Light and Power Syndicate and later by Fleetwood Urban District Council. The second station was owned and operated by the state following the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948; this power station was decommissioned in October 1981.

Wallasey power station supplied electricity to the town of Wallasey and the surrounding area from 1897. It was owned and operated by Wallasey Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped several times: including the incorporation of new plant in the 1920s and 1950. The station was decommissioned in the late 1960s.

Scarborough power station supplied electricity to the town of Scarborough and the surrounding area from 1893 to 1958. It was owned and operated by the Scarborough Electric Supply Company Limited from 1893 to 1925, then by Scarborough Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The coal-fired power station had an ultimate electricity generating capacity of 7 MW prior to its closure in October 1958.

South Shields power station supplied electricity to the borough of South Shields and the surrounding area from 1896 to 1958. It was owned and operated by South Shields Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped several times to meet increasing demand It was decommissioned in 1958.

The Urban Electric Supply Company Limited (UESCo) was a British electricity industry holding company that operated from 1898 until the nationalisation of the electricity supply industry in 1948. It controlled directly, or indirectly through its subsidiaries, electricity undertakings throughout Britain.

Nelson power station supplied electricity to the town of Nelson, Lancashire and the surrounding area from 1892 to 1960. The power station was owned and operated by Nelson Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was redeveloped in 1922 to 1925 to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Ramsgate power station supplied electricity to the town of Ramsgate, Kent, England and the surrounding area from 1905 to 1958. The station was operated by the Ramsgate and District Electric Supply Company Limited until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The coal-fired power station had a maximum electricity generating capacity of 2 MW.

The London and Home Counties Joint Electricity Authority was a United Kingdom statutory body established in 1925 with the responsibility to "provide or secure the provision of a cheap and abundant supply of electricity” within the County of London and parts of the surrounding home counties. The Authority acquired electricity in bulk from electricity undertakings for distribution, and operated some power stations in Surrey. The Authority was abolished upon nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948.

Joint electricity authorities (JEAs) were statutory bodies established in the United Kingdom in the 1920s which aimed to provide a low-cost and abundant supply of electricity to consumers. This was to be achieved by constructing and operating power stations, and electricity transmission and distribution systems on a coordinated basis in regional Electricity Districts overseen by the joint electricity authorities.

References

  1. 1 2 Katzarov, Konstantin (6 December 2012). Theory of Nationalization. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN   9789401510554.
  2. ↑ "History of the UK electricity industry". RWE nPower. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Kelf-Cohen, R. (1973). British Nationalisation, 1945-1973. London: Macmillan. ISBN   9781349015436.
  4. ↑ Hughes, T. (1983). Networks of Power: Electrification in Western Society 1880-1930. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   9780801846144.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Hannah, Leslie (1979). Electricity before Nationalisation. London: Macmillan. pp. 289–352. ISBN   0333220862.
  6. 1 2 3 Electricity Supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. 1987. pp. 53–4, 56–8. ISBN   085188105X.
  7. ↑ Hansard, House of Commons, 25 November 1936, Vol.318 cc474-475.
  8. ↑ Competition Commission (UK), Report on Electricity Supply Industry, 1987 (PDF) Archived March 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.