Electricity Consumption (Hansard, 13 February 1951)

§ 8. Sir H. Williams
asked the Minister of Works the number of units of electricity consumed in the Palace of Westminster during the two weeks ended 3rd February.

§ Mr. Stokes
Information on electricity consumption at the Palace of Westminster is only available for periods of a month. No information for February is yet available. The consumption for the month ending 27th January, 1951, was 141,274 units.

§ Sir H. Williams
Do I understand from that reply that nobody is capable of reading a meter in this building?

§ Mr. Stokes
No, Sir. The routine arrangement is that the meter is read once a month.

§ Sir H. Williams
Why could not they do it once a fortnight? I want to know what is consumed when we are sitting.

§ Mr. Stokes
It is quite absurd to suggest that we should alter the routine every time a Question is asked.

§ Sir H. Williams
It is a matter of two minutes' work.

§ Mr. John Tilney
Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that less electricity might be consumed if the windows were cleaner?