Today, local MP Robert Largan called on the Government to urgently restore power to those cut off following Storm Arwen.
Robert Largan MP asked the Secretary of State:
“I thank the Secretary of State for his statement, and for meeting with me yesterday to discuss the situation in High Peak – where thousands of homes have been left without power since the weekend, including places like Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Wash, Bagshaw, Sparrowpit, Wormhill, Peak Forest, Chinley, Hayfield, and more. I want to put on record my thanks to those engineers at Electricity North West, as well as those at Derbyshire County Council, the Local Resilience Forum, the emergency services, and our amazing mountain rescue teams for working not just to reconnect power but also to help the most vulnerable who have been affected. Unfortunately, there are still homes who are now experiencing their fifth day without power. Can I ask the Secretary of State to commit the Government to do whatever is needed and to provide whatever resources the Local Resilience Forum request to get power back to everyone in the High Peak?”
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Kwasi Kwarteng, replied:
“As I said to a number of Honourable Members here today, we’re absolutely committed to getting power back. Now, I need to reiterate this, it is the case that 95 per cent of the people who were affected are back but, clearly, if you’re one of the 5 per cent who is still without power that is no solace – that is not something that is going to help you in that situation. I think that it is absolutely incumbent on me and my department to make sure that we do whatever we can to resolve this.”
Robert Largan, MP for High Peak, commented:
“My thoughts are with all those still without power as a result of Storm Arwen. Throughout the week, I have been working hard to raise individual cases directly with Electricity North West.
“I have also been in constant contact with Derbyshire County Council to report affected areas, and to get snowploughs and gritters out as soon as possible.
“I am incredibly grateful to the teams of engineers working in difficult and often dangerous conditions to fix broken power lines.
“I warmly welcome the commitment from the Government to do whatever is needed to restore power to those cut off by Storm Arwen. I will be holding their feet to the fire until power is restored across the High Peak.”
