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

The Act provided for ‘main transmission line’ interconnections between selected stations and undertakings; and to standardise the frequency of generation; and other purposes.

In the early 1920s there were several issues that affected the efficient operation of the British electricity supply industry.

These included the limited powers of the statutory bodies, the 'diagnosis of failure' and the plethora of operating frequencies.

[2] Members of the Conservative Party were suspicious of ‘schemes which smacked of nationalisation’, and more widely opposed state intervention in industrial affairs.

[2] The Electricity Commissioners admitted that their activities had met with only limited success, as they had been involved in interminable rounds of public inquiries.

[2] Lack of powers of compulsion and municipal pride had militated again cooperation between local authority undertakings.

To address the above issues, in January 1925 a committee was established under the chairmanship of Lord Weir ‘to review the national problem of the supply of electrical energy’.

[2] The committee reported in May 1925 and their recommendations formed the basis of the 1926 Act which was introduced into Parliament on 10 March 1926.

Conservative back benchers tabled amendments to limit the powers of the proposed CEB, extending the committee stage from April to July.

Provisions as to Scheme Electricity Commissioners are to prepare and transmit to the board ‘schemes’ for relevant areas identifying which ‘selected’ generating stations were to be used to generate electricity for the Board (section 4 (1)(a); providing for ‘main transmission line’ interconnections between selected stations and undertakings (section 4 (1)(b); and to standardise the frequency of generation (section 4 (1)(c).

Financial Provisions Expenses, borrowing, issue of stock, Treasury guarantees, accounts and audit (sections 26 to 30).

Miscellaneous Provisions Charges, superannuation, clearing lines, bridge protection (sections 31 to 35).