Division
Catalogue reference: Division within POWE
Division within POWE
Records relating to the administration and regulation of the gas and electricity industries and supply.Correspondence and papers of the Electricity Branch and Electricity Division (including files relating to the Electricity Commission) are in...
Division within POWE
1869-1988
Records relating to the administration and regulation of the gas and electricity industries and supply.
Correspondence and papers of the Electricity Branch and Electricity Division (including files relating to the Electricity Commission) are in POWE 13 and POWE 14. Files of the Division dealing with nationalisation are in POWE 38. Minutes of the Electricity Commission are in POWE 11, with its correspondence and papers in POWE 12. Registers of consents to the acquisition and use of land for generating stations, overhead transmission lines and confirmations of special orders of the Electricity Commission are in POWE 15 and POWE 51. Papers of the Herbert Committee are in POWE 24
POWE 29 contains registered files of the Gas Division and its predecessors relating to gas administration and gas standards, including the Gas Standards Branch and papers of the Heyworth Committee (appointed to investigate the organisation of the electricity supply industry). Files on the nationalisation of the gas industry are in POWE 44. Minute books of the gas referees are in POWE 31, their special prescriptions for individual testing places (including prescriptions made by the Gas Testing Section) are in POWE 30, with their notifications and instructions to gas examiners in POWE 32
Material on electricity supply undertakings appears in MT 10
Files relating to the constitution and staff of the Electricity Branch, the Commission and the Board are in POWE 10
A definition of the relationship between the Ministry and the British Electricity Authority is in T 214/7
Public Record(s)
English
13 series
Prior to 1942, the government's statutory responsibilities under the Gas Acts from 1847 were performed by the Board of Trade. In 1942 the Board's gas responsibilities were transferred to the Ministry of Fuel and Power, initially to a combined Gas and Electricity Division. In 1947 a separate Gas Division was created following the recommendations of the report of the Committee of Enquiry on the Gas Industry. The Gas Act 1948 nationalised the industry and created twelve area Gas Boards and a Gas Council.
The Gas Division was responsible for administering the 1948 Act, including liaison with authorities set up by the Act. It also provided policy advice and dealt with matters affecting the maintenance and development of gas supply, and liaised with the gas industry and other government departments. The Division's Gas Standards Branch dealt with control of gas purity and testing of gas meters and other equipment. Shortly after its creation, the Division became responsible for the By-products Branch (concerned with supply and control of coal carbonisation by-products) until its dissolution in 1955, any residual work then being done by the Division.
The Gas Act 1965 gave increased power to the Gas Council and provided for underground storage of gas subject to the Minister's authorisation. In the mid-1960s much of the Division's work concerned this and the arrival of natural gas, and in-put into discussions on fuel policy planning, particularly during the 1967 energy crisis.
In 1969 responsibilities for electricity and gas transferred to the Ministry of Technology (until 1970), the Department of Trade and Industry (until 1974), and then the Department of Energy.
Electricity DivisionPrior to 1920 the Board of Trade exercised regulatory controls over electricity supplies, principally under the Electric Lighting Acts 1882 to 1909. After the First World War, committees of the Board and the Ministry of Reconstruction reported on the electricity industry and proposed a comprehensive national system for generation and supply. The Electricity (Supply) Acts 1919 and 1926 were passed to implement these proposals. In January 1920 the Board's electricity responsibilities transferred to the Ministry of Transport's Electricity Branch and central supervision of the electricity industry was divided between the Ministry and the newly constituted Electricity Commission and Central Electricity Board.
The Ministry's powers were largely quasi-legislative and included responsibilities for authorising electricity undertakings, generating stations, overhead power lines, electrical supplies for railways, prices and charges, and appointment of arbitrators. The Minister was also responsible for commissioners' appointments, staff and salaries, and the confirmation and issue of special orders of the Commission. After 1926 the Minister was responsible for the appointment of the Central Electricity Board set up in February 1927 to co-ordinate electricity generation and act as an authorised undertaking throughout Great Britain. The Board controlled and purchased the output of selected generating stations and undertook the interconnection of such stations through its main transmission lines. The Board was also authorised to give general directions for the operation of generating stations remaining outside its immediate control and the standardisation of frequencies. The Board's capital costs were recoverable through the electricity commissioners by means of an annual levy on the industry.
In September 1941 responsibilities for electricity passed briefly to the Board of Trade and then in June 1942 to the combined Gas and Electricity Division of the new Ministry of Fuel and Power. During the War emergency measures were introduced to meet the demands of wartime production and the Division handled matters relating to the defence of generating stations.
Following the Electricity Act 1947 the electricity supply industry was nationalised in April 1948 and a British Electricity Authority (later renamed the Central Electricity Authority) established. Fourteen area electricity boards and fourteen consultative councils were set up and these absorbed pre-existing undertakings. The Ministry gave general directions, made appointments to the Authority and laid their annual reports before Parliament, and approved substantive research and development programmes. The 1947 Act also transferred powers relating to meter testing from the Electricity Commission to the Ministry and this increase in statutory responsibilities led to the creation of a separate Electricity Division.
On the recommendation of the Herbert Committee, the Electricity Act 1957 created a Central Electricity Generating Board to replace the Central Electricity Authority as the body responsible for generation and operation of the grid. Twelve area boards were made responsible for distribution. An Electricity Council was set up to act as a co-ordinator between central and local bodies, and the Electricity Division retained its supervisory role as interpreter of government policy to these new authorities.
Electricity CommissionThis was constituted by the Electricity (Supply) Act 1919, and following the Ministry of Transport Act 1919 became the responsibility of the Minister of Transport. Its main functions were to promote, regulate and supervise the electricity supply. The Commission set up and supervised the joint electricity authorities in the provision of the supply in their own districts. These bodies were to acquire or to build generating stations as required, with the Commission's sanction. Schemes of reorganisation in such districts were effected by order of the Commission confirmed by the Minister and in Parliament. The scheme was not a success and following the Electricity (Supply) Act 1926, these functions were largely superseded by the new Central Electricity Board.
The Commission was also responsible for regulating and inspecting electricity undertakings and administration of the Electric Lighting Acts 1882 to 1909. The Commission's legal staff undertook such work until 1934 (when passed to the Treasury Solicitor). The Commission also undertook preliminary work in fields which remained the Minister's direct responsibility.
The Commission's statutory functions fell into three main Branches: Administrative: granting and modifying the power to supply electricity; granting consent and approval for making of arrangements; carrying out works for development and operation of electricity undertakings.Finance: accounting and statistics, collection of levies, and other financial matters.Engineering: examination and certification of electricity meters under the Electricity Supply (Meters) Act 1936; engineering questions and inspections arising from the Commission's work.
During the War, the Commission was designated an 'appropriate authority' in relation to electricity supply undertakings for the purpose of civil defence, fire prevention, war damage, etc. It was also involved with settlement of manpower disputes.
Responsibility for the Commission passed to the Board of Trade (1941) and then the Ministry of Fuel and Power (1942). The Commission exercised certain powers on behalf of the Minister, and in other matters (e.g. regulation of electricity prices) acted in an advisory capacity. In 1948, following electricity nationalisation, the Commission was wound up (Statutory Instrument I 1948 No 1769), its powers being transferred to the Ministry of Fuel and Power and the British Electricity Authority.
Records created or inherited by the Ministry of Power, and of related bodies
Records of the Gas and Electricity Divisions, and the Electricity Commission
Records that share similar topics with this record.