The Opposition Jamaica Labour Party has tabled a number of questions in Parliament seeking answers from the Government about the proposed sale of the Jamaica Public Service Company.

Opposition Spokesman on Energy, Clive Mullings, last Tuesday asked Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Phillip Paul-well, to provide answers within 21 days, to the following questions:

Questions

1. Has the Government consented to Mirant Cor-poration, the majority shareholder in the Jamaica Public Service Company, selling its shares?

2. If the answer is in the affirmative, are there prospective buyers of the 80 per cent shareholding and if so, what are their names?

3. Is the Government still considering selling its 20 per cent shareholding in the Jamaica Public Service Company?

4. Is the Government seeking to become the owners or majority shareholders in the Jamaica Public Service Company? If the answer is no, is the Government prepared to divest the power-generating capacity of the Jamaica Public Service Company to independent power producers while retaining the distribution and transmission network?

5. What is the reason for the islandwide power failure that occurred on July 15, 2006.