Ms Julie O'Neill:

Not right now. As we go through our strategic planning process, should something like that emerge, we would be open to bringing it forward. The way I would look at it is there is a process under way at the moment to develop a White Paper on energy. It is probably the most consultative process I have seen in developing a White Paper. That will produce an overarching policy framework for energy. Governments change and policies vary from time to time but, as I said in my opening statement, I suspect the underlying thrust of the policy debate is not on what we hope to achieve but how we are to achieve it. I think we all share a view at this stage, across Government, the wider public and private sector and, I believe, all political parties, on the importance of achieving sustainability. Our role, against that backdrop, is to see what we can do to contribute to the debate.

That being said, if appointed to this role, I will have around the board table, not to mention within the authority, people of considerable expertise and depth of understanding in various aspects of sustainable energy. I will listen to those views and look at the most effective way of bringing them forward.

It seems to me that we have moved from a position a number of years ago where the job was to convince people that sustainable energy was a sensible objective to a point where most people now buy into that. What they are interested in, as evidenced in today's questions, is the best way possible to achieve it. We will have a considerable educational and public information role. Our job is not to be the flag-carriers for any particular approach to sustainable energy but to produce the most objective analysis available which can be a good resource and input in Government policy.