§ 34. Mr. Messerasked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in the utilisation of supplies of coke-oven gas since the report of the National Fuel and Power Committee in 1928, naming particular areas which are being developed with supplies of coke-oven gas and giving prices charged to consumers for gas in these areas; and what progress has been made in the development of a gas grid system?
Mr. StanleyThe quantity of gas bought by authorised gas undertakings from owners of coke ovens in 1927 was upwards of 5,000,000 thousand cubic feet. In 1936 the quantity so bought exceeded 24,000,000 thousand cubic feet. I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the undertakings which purchased coke-oven gas in 1936, together with the quantities purchased and the prices charged. The recommendation of Area Gas Supply Committee which considered the question of a gas network was that one should be instituted in the Sheffield district. This has been done and 847 the quantity of coke-oven gas bought by the Sheffield Gas Company has increased from less than 2,000,000 thousand cubic feet in 1927 to more than 8,000,000 thousand cubic feet in 1936.
§ Mr. ShinwellIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the only gas grid system is in the Sheffield area, and that there is ample reason why a gas grid should be constructed in other parts of the country?
| Quantities of Coke Oven Gas bought by authorised Gas Undertakings in 1936, with some particulars of the prices per therm charged by those Undertakings to their consumers. | |||||
| Purchasing Undertaking. | Quantity of coke oven gas purchased. | Price in 1935 in main area of supply. | |||
| Highest price to ordinary consumers. | To domestic consumer of 100 therms per annum. | To domestic consumer of 500 therms per annum. | To industrial consumer of 5,000 therms per annum. | ||
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. |
| 1,000 cubic feet. | d. per therm. | d. per therm. | d. per therm | d. per therm. | |
| England and Wales. | |||||
| Accrington District Gas and Water Board. | 618,318 | 10.5 | 9.5 | 9.25 | 7.0 |
| Ackworth, Featherstone, Purston and Sharlston Gas Company. | 46,043 | 12.0 | 11.78 | 10.22 | 10.22 |
| Burnley Corporation | 544,509(½) | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 5.13 |
| Castleford and Whitwood Gas Light and Coke Company. | 178,761 | 9.8 | 9.3 | 8.3 | 5.0 |
| Chesterfield Corporation | 343,368(½) | 10.0 | 7.3 | 6.26 | 4.0 |
| Clay Cross Gas Company, Limited. | 101,072 | 10.63 | 10.63 & 9.38 | 9.06 | 5.0 |
| Derby Gas Light and Coke Company. | 1,442,163(⅔) | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.82 | 4.75 |
| Eckington and Mosborough Gas Company, Limited. | 36,500 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 6.25 | 6.25 |
| Garw and Ogmore Gas Company. | 24,365 | 16.94 | 14.85 | 13.l4 | — |
| Gas Light and Coke Company | 825,068 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 6.78 |
| Haslingden Union Gas Company. | 53,088 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | — |
| Houghton-le-Spring District Gas Company. | 89,246 | 9.5 | 8.78 | 7.6 | 6.33 |
| Kettering Gas Company | 231,192 | 9.78 | 9.78 | 9.78 | 6.0 |
| Kidsgrove Gaslight Company | 53,906 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 11.0 | 11.0 |
| Mansfield Corporation | 307,877 | 9.9 | 9.9 | 9.69 | 7.37 |
| Marsden Urban District Council. | 104 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 6.3 | 5.7 |
| Middlesbrough Corporation | 1,299,864 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.3 |
| Mirfield Gas Company | 43,906(⅓) | 1.0 | 10.8 | 9.96 | 4.25 |
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Gateshead Gas Company. | 3,050,723(½) | 7.8 | 7.8 | 4.9 to 7.8 | 6.1 |
| Nottingham Corporation | 735,836(¼) | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 6.2 |
| Ossett Corporation | 152,704 | 10.11 | 10.11 | 9.09 | 8.59 |
| Pontypool Gas and Water Company. | 217,130 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 5.33 |
| Pontypridd Urban District Council. | 160,069 | 10.65 | 10.65 & 10.0 | 10.65 & 10.0 | 8.04 |
| Rawmarsh Urban District Council. | 87,913 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 7.8 |
| Redcar Corporation | 192,912 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 9.5 | 9.0 |
| Rhymney and Aber Gas Company. | 259,806 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 5.65 |
Mr. StanleyThat is not the opinion of the Area Gas Supply Committee which considered the question. The only recommendation they made of a gas grid was in the Sheffield area, and that has been done.
§ Mr. ShinwellThat report was issued in 1928, and much progress has been made since then.
§ Following is the table:
849| Purchasing Undertaking. | Quantity of coke oven gas purchased. | Price in 1935 in main area of supply. | |||
| Highest price to ordinary consumers. | To domestic consumer of 100 therms per annum. | To domestic consumer of 500 therms per annum. | To industrial consumer of 5,000 therms per annum. | ||
| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. |
| England and Wales.—contd. | 1,000 cubic feet. | d. per therm. | d. per therm. | d. per therm. | d. per therm. |
| Rotherham Corporation | 1,071,347 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 3.6 |
| Rothwell Gas Light Company. | 67,569 | 10.45 | 10.45 | 10.26 | 9.62 |
| Royston and Brodsworth Gas Company. | 125,629(½) | 10.6 | 10.6 | 9.5 | 4.5 |
| Sheffield Gas Company | 8,361,460 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 4.8 |
| Shirebrook and District Gas Company. | 78,313 | 11.0 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 6.4 |
| South Yorkshire and Derbyshire Gas Company. | 282,981 | 11.2 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 4.0 |
| Stocksbridge Gas Company | 65,141 | 7.2 | 6.88 | 5.74 | 4.4 |
| Stoke-on-Trent Corporation | 920,324(⅓) | 7.45 | 7.45 | 6.81 | 6.38 |
| Sunderland Gas Company | 578,571(⅓) | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.6 |
| Swinton and Mexborough Gas Board. | 736,222 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 12.42 | 6.0 |
| Tudhoe and Sunderland Bridge Gas Company. | 11,772 | 4/3 per 1,000 c.f. | 4/3 per 1,000 c.f. | 4/1 per 1,000 c.f. | 3/6 per 1,000 c.f. |
| Wath, Bolton and Thurnscoe Gas Board. | 114,415 | 12.4 | 10.2 | 7.4 | 6.0 |
| Wombwell Urban District Council. | 91,939 | 11.55 | 11.55 | 10.9 | 6.89 |
| Worsbroughdale and Worsbrough Gas Light and Coke Company, Limited. | 28,340 | 9.37 | 9.37 | 9.37 | 9.37 |
| Scotland. | |||||
| Glasgow Corporation | 671,106 | 8.09 | Not available | 3.4 | |
| Total | 24,301,632 | ||||
| In most cases all, or nearly all, the gas sold by the undertaking is purchased from coke ovens. Exceptions are indicated by a suffix number in brackets which represents the approximate proportion of total gas sold which is purchased from coke ovens. In the case of the Gas Light and Coke Company the Marsden Urban District Council and the Glasgow Corporation the quantity purchased is very small in comparison with total supply. | |||||
| Column 6 does not necessarily show the lowest price charged to industrial consumers. |