Electricity Act 1957

2 Establishment, constitution and functions of Central Electricity Generating Board

(1) There shall be established a Board, to be called the Central Electricity Generating Board (in this Act referred to as " the Generating Board"), who shall, as from the vesting date, perform the functions assigned to them by or under this Act, together with such functions of the Central Authority under the Electricity Act, 1947 (in this Act referred to as " the principal Act"), and other enactments, as by virtue of this Act are transferred to the Generating Board.

(2) The Generating Board shall consist of a chairman appointed by the Minister and such number of other members so appointed, not being less than seven or more than nine, as the Minister may from time to time determine.

(3) All the members of the Generating Board shall be appointed by the Minister from amongst persons appearing to him to be qualified as having had experience of, and having shown capacity in, the generation or supply of electricity, industrial, commercial or financial matters, applied science, administration, or the organisation of workers.

(4) The Minister shall appoint one or more members of the Generating Board to be deputy chairman or deputy chairmen of the Board.

(5) Without prejudice to any other functions assigned or transferred to them as mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, it shall as from the vesting date be the duty of the Generating Board to develop and maintain an efficient, co-ordinated and economical system of supply of electricity in bulk for all parts of England and Wales, and for that purpose—

(a) to generate or acquire supplies of electricity ; and

(b) to provide bulk supplies of electricity for the Area Boards for distribution by those Boards.

(6) In accordance with any agreement made in that behalf by the Generating Board with the person or body of persons to be supplied, the Generating Board may provide bulk supplies of electricity—

(a) for either of the Scottish Electricity Boards, or

(b) for any person or body of persons carrying on an electricity undertaking outside Great Britain,

and may provide supplies of electricity (whether in bulk or otherwise) for any other person or body of persons for whom the Generating Board may for the time being be authorised by the Minister to provide such supplies.

(7) The Generating Board shall have power—

(a) to manufacture anything required by the Generating Board or by any Area Board for purposes of research or development or for the repair or maintenance of their equipment;

(b) to sell, hire or otherwise supply electrical plant, and to instal, repair, maintain or remove any electrical plant and electrical fittings ; and

(c) to carry on all such other activities as it may appear to the Generating Board to be requisite, advantageous or convenient for them to carry on for or in connection with the performance of their functions under the preceding provisions of this section or with a view to making the best use of any assets vested in them:

Provided that nothing in paragraph (c) of this subsection, or in the principal Act, shall be construed as authorising the Generating Board to manufacture anything except as mentioned in paragraph (a) of this subsection, or to sell, hire or otherwise supply electrical fittings.

(8) For the purposes of any enactment (including the principal Act and this Act) the Generating Board shall be included among the Boards referred to as Electricity Boards, or as Electricity Boards in England and Wales.