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Electricity Pylons (Southerham)

: I understand the concerns the hon. Gentleman has expressed about what happened in the past. We have asked to see whether any other documents are available but, as I pointed out, that is not possible. Before I conclude, I would like to return to what happened in the past. I understand the point that the hon. Gentleman makes but it is not possible to know exactly what reasons were behind the decisions made in the 1970s to make the temporary diversion permanent without the information we talked about. Unfortunately, the records from the mid-1970s relating to the statutory undertakers diversions required for the Lewes southern bypass no longer exist. I am also informed that EDF has no details from its predecessors either. It is reported that in the 1970s the cost of diverting the cables underground was £84,000. At that time, that was a significant sum, so it may be reasonable to assume that that was taken into account in coming to a decision, but because the information is not available, it is not possible to say whether that was the only, or deciding, reason.