5. c. 100) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which amended the law with respect to the supply of electricity.

In 1917, the UK government was planning the reconstruction of the nation's industries after the First World War.

The Board of Trade set up the Electric Power Supply Committee, chaired by Sir Archibald Williamson, which proposed the effective nationalisation of the industry.

[1] Subsequently, in 1919 under the chairmanship of Sir Henry Birchenough, the Advisory Council to the Ministry of Reconstruction produced the Report of the Committee of Chairmen[2] on Electric Power Supply.

The committee were asked to submit general comments or suggestions on the broad administrative and commercial issues which had arisen out of the Williamson Report.

The Birchenough Committee generally agreed with the Williamson Report but recommended that generation and transmission should be a single unified system with state regulation and finance and that means should be found for including distribution as well.

[3] The Electricity (Supply) Act 1919, was based essentially on the Williamson and Birchenough reports and introduced central co-ordination by establishing the Electricity Commissioners, an official body responsible for securing reorganisation on a regional basis.

The Electricity (Supply) Act 1919 received royal assent on 23 December 1919.

Its long title is: ’An Act to amend the Law with respect to the supply of electricity’.

Amendments of Electric Lighting Acts Transfer of powers of the Ministry of Health, the Scottish Office and London County Council (section 20).

Transfer of powers of Board of Trade to Minister of Transport (section 39).