COMPANIES LTD . THE NAME " THE GENERAL ELECTRIC AND ENGLISH ELECTRIC COMPANIES LTD " WAS LATER CHANGED TO " THE GENERAL ELECTRIC CO . LTD " . ALSO SUBSEQUENT TO THE AGREEMENT OF 1968 , AND PRIOR TO THAT OF 1970 , A . REYROLLE AND CO . LTD BECAME REYROLLE PARSONS LTD AT THE TIME IT ACQUIRED ON 1 JANUARY 1969 THE WHOLE OF THE ASSETS AND UNDERTAKING OF C . A . PARSONS AND CO . LTD .
2 . ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES IS NOW A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY COMPANY OF THE GENERAL ELECTRIC CO . LTD .
3 . THE COMPANY " VACUUM INTERRUPTERS LTD " WAS INCORPORATED PRIOR TO 17 NOVEMBER 1972 , AND AN AGREEMENT OF THAT DATE MADE BETWEEN ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES LTD , REYROLLE PARSONS LTD , AND VACUUM INTERRUPTERS LTD PROVIDED INTER ALIA THAT ( I ) " VACUUM INTERRUPTERS ( 1968 ) LTD " SHOULD BE LIQUIDATED AND ( II ) VACUUM INTERRUPTERS LTD HAD BECOME BOUND BY THE AGREEMENT OF 25 MARCH 1970 BY ADOPTION THEREOF .
4 . BOTH ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES LTD AND REYROLLE PARSONS LTD PRODUCE A GREAT VARIETY OF HEAVY ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT , INCLUDING SWITCHGEAR APPARATUS , INDEPENDENTLY OF AND IN COMPETITION WITH EACH OTHER . ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES LTD BECAME A SUBSIDIARY OF THE GENERAL ELECTRIC CO . LTD ON 4 DECEMBER 1967 .
THE GENERAL ELECTRIC CO . LTD HAS INFORMED THE COMMISSION OF :
( I ) THREE TECHNICAL COLLABORATION AGREEMENTS SUBSISTING BETWEEN THEM AND/OR THEIR ASSOCIATED COMPANIES AND REYROLLE PARSONS , EACH OF WHICH WERE ENTERED INTO PRIOR TO 4 DECEMBER 1967 ; AS WELL AS
( II ) TWO OTHER AGREEMENTS IN EACH OF WHICH THEY BOTH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER COMPANIES - ONE IN THE FIELD OF TRANSFORMERS ( DATED 1972 ) AND THE OTHER ( DATED 1969 ) CONCERNING A MINORITY HOLDING IN A CABLE MANUFACTURING COMPANY IN THE CARIBBEAN AREA . THESE CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE GENERAL ELECTRIC CO . LTD AND ITS SUBSIDIARY ASSOCIATED ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES LTD AND REYROLLE PARSONS LTD DEMONSTRATE THAT THE FIELD OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE UNDERTAKINGS HAS NOT EXPANDED PARALLEL WITH THE INITIATION AND CONTINUATION OF THEIR JOINT INTEREST IN VACUUM INTERRUPTERS LTD , AND THEREFORE THE POTENTIAL FOR COMPETITION BETWEEN THEM HAS NOT BEEN REDUCED .
5 . SWITCHGEAR APPARATUS HAS TWO FUNCTIONS TO PERFORM , NAMELY :
( I ) TO SWITCH ON AND OFF THE POWER FLOWING FROM GENERATING STATIONS ALONG TRANSMISSION LINES CARRYING HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC POWER WHETHER FOR RURAL , URBAN , OR INDUSTRIAL USERS ; AND
( II ) TO ACT AS A SAFETY DEVICE IN THE EVENT OF A FAULT IN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM .
6 . THE PRINCIPAL ITEM OF EQUIPMENT IN SWITCHGEAR APPARATUS IS A " CIRCUIT BREAKER " WHICH PERFORMS THE CUTTING OFF OF POWER AND IS REQUIRED TO ACT AUTOMATICALLY AND VERY QUICKLY IN THE EVENT THAT A FAULT OCCURS IN THE SYSTEM . IT MUST BE ABLE TO CUT OFF