§ 18. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the average increase in cost per unit of electricity and per therm of gas, respectively, to industrial and domestic consumers, as a result of the price increase of 4s. 2d. per ton of coal and 6s. 3d. per ton of coke, announced on 1st February, 1951.
§ Mr. RobensThe increase in the price of coal will, no doubt, increase the cost of producing electricity and gas. But the electricity and gas boards fix the prices which they charge to their consumers, and in doing so they take many other factors into account.
§ Mr. NabarroCan the Parliamentary Secretary say whether it is the policy of His Majesty's Government to encourage gas and electricity undertakings to pass on the whole of the cost increase arising from the advances in price of coal and coke, or will they, by greater efficiency, endeavour to absorb those price increases themselves?
§ Mr. RobensAll these organisations have a statutory responsibility to pay their way.
§ Mr. P. RobertsDoes not this increase in the price of coke represent a subsidy to the gas industry? Will the Minister make a statement about the price of gas, or is that to remain at the present price and the coke industry to bear the increased cost?
§ Mr. RobensNo, the gas undertakings will have to decide the prices of the various commodities in accordance with the costs of production.
§ 20. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is prepared to answer Parliamentary Questions relating to the work of the Committee set up by him to secure that the publicity activities of the electricity and gas industries are co-ordinated with his efforts to secure economy of the use by the public of electricity and gas.
§ 29. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the terms of reference of the recently established Fuel and Power Publicity Co-ordination Committee; whether the proceedings and findings of this Committee will be published and in what form; and what representation of industrial and domestic fuel consumer interests will be provided on the Committee.
§ Mr. RobensThe task of the Committee is to consider the various forms of publicity needed to secure economy in the use of fuel and power and to advise the Ministry of Fuel and Power and the gas and electricity industries so that there may be a proper co-ordination on the general lines of this publicity.
My right hon. Friend does not think it would be appropriate for him either to publicise the proceedings of the Committee or to indicate in answer to Parliamentary Questions the nature of the advice given by the Committee on particular issues either to the Ministry or to the gas and electricity industries; nor does he think it would serve any useful purpose to add to the membership of the Committee in the way suggested by the hon. Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro).
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that this Committee is presided over by himself—
§ Mr. RobensI am.
§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter—and is there any precedent for this refusal to answer Questions about the public actions of a Minister of the Crown?
§ Mr. RobensThis is a small Committee over which I preside, and, as I have said, it has for its object the coordination of publicity. There does not seem to be any point in publicising its proceedings or, indeed, in answering Questions about them.
§ Mr. NabarroCan the hon. Gentleman say whether the establishment of this Committee will lead to the end of the preposterous dissipation of public funds by the lack of co-ordination in these industries?
§ Mr. RobensAt the moment all the publicity is devoted to fuel economy. 17 What will happen in the future is a matter which the Committee will discuss with the industries concerned.
§ Sir Herbert WilliamsCan the Parliamentary Secretary say whether the advertisement which I read in the "Daily Herald" on Saturday, issued jointly by the National Coal Board, the Gas Council and the Electricity Authority, asking people not to use their products, was the result of the Committee's activities?
§ Mr. RobensYes, Sir.
§ 27. Mr. Ralph Morleyasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what progress is being made in Great Britain in the development of schemes for generating electricity from the water-power of rivers and tides.