There are many hon. Members on this side of the House who, in spite of what has been said, do not think that there should be a statement on the Electricity Supply Crisis this day.

20, 682 for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he believes should have urgent consideration, namely, "the Electricity Supply Crisis in the east midlands".

Was it not the case that market forces were seriously interfered with at the time of the share flotation because there was an Electricity Supply Crisis caused by the severe weather conditions that especially hit the east midlands?

Mr. Harry Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish a report on the Electricity Supply Crisis in the east midlands which resulted from the severe weather conditions of 8 December 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what action he proposes to take in response to the report of East Midlands Electricity plc on the Electricity Supply Crisis which arose from severe weather conditions.

Dr Jenifer Baxter, the head of energy and environment at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the lead author of the report, “Engineering the UK Electricity Gap”, said: “The UK is facing an Electricity Supply Crisis.