HC Deb 01 February 1966 vol 723 cc865-8
15. Mr. Hugh Fraser

asked the Minister of Power if he will make a statement on the breakdown of gas supplies in the West Midlands, and on the remedial action which he proposes to take.

19. Mr. Ioan L. Evans

asked the Minister of Power what representations he has received from the West Midlands Gas Consultative Committee about gas supplies in the West Midlands; what action he has taken; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Frederick Lee

I would refer the hon. Members to the statement I made to the House on Tuesday, 25th January, 1966. I am glad to say that supplies have now been fully restored. I have received no representations from the West Midlands Gas Consultative Council.

Mr. Fraser

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the point missed throughout in his statement is the question of the type of management of these boards and that there is no question but that in the West Midlands the advertising policy, tariff policy and many of the other policies concerned with this Board have come in for severe criticism? What is the right hon. Gentleman going to do about top management in these boards? The right hon. Gentleman hires men and enables them—

Mr. Speaker

Order. Questions must be snappier.

Mr. Lee

The answer is that I am having an inquiry conducted into the whole question.

Mr. Evans

While accepting my right hon. Friend's earlier remarks about the situation in the West Midlands, may I ask him to consider the discussion which has taken place at the West Midlands Consultative Council, because it is thought by the members there that the question of not forecasting the supply in the area enters into this and that this was part of the problem?

Mr. Lee

I have had no representations from them, although I spent a few hours in the company of the chairman and deputy.

Mr. Lubbock

What is the point of having consultative councils in the electricity and gas industries if they do not make representations to the Minister on a matter of this extreme importance?

Mr. Lee

It is a question for the boards themselves. They can approach the area boards—[Interruption.]—if they wish—[HON. MEMBERS: "Why?"] Why ask me? I am not a member of the area consultative council.

23. Mr. Eyre

asked the Minister of Power if he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the Gas Board that they should offer compensation to domestic users of gas in the West Midlands area in view of the failure of the Board to supply the quantity of gas required.

Mr. Frederick Lee

No, Sir.

Mr. Eyre

Does the Minister realise that thousands of domestic consumers in the West Midlands suffered badly during the cut, particularly those in the smokeless zones, because the pressure of the gas supply was so low that it was worthless for cooking and heating purposes? Many of these people feel that they have been cheated. Would not the Minister consider some form of gesture of good will?

Mr. Lee

I sympathise with consumers who suffered inconvenience. There is no question of their having paid more for the gas they received—they did not pay over the odds. The hon. Gentleman says that the supply was hardly any use, but he will know that gas pressures cannot go below a certain level for fear of explosions, and that kind of thing. It was for that reason that domestic consumers were kept supplied.

24. Mr. Eyre

asked the Minister of Power why no steps were taken by way of consultation with industry to lessen the damage caused to production and exports resulting from failure of gas supplies in the West Midlands.

Mr. Frederick Lee

Consultation did take place, but on 20th January the situation became so serious that the use of gas by industry had to be stopped almost entirely. Further discussions are now being held to see whether a scheme can be devised to minimise the effects of any further cuts that should become necessary.

Mr. Eyre

Has the right hon. Gentleman forgotten the words in the Prime Minister's statement during the earlier crisis in November, that the Winter Emergency Committee would deal with any emergency that arose; that it would—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Member must not quote in a supplementary question.

Mr. Eyre

Then was the Winter Emergency Committee asleep on this job?

Mr. Lee

The Winter Emergency Committee had no business to be on this job at all.

32. Mr. Wingfield Digby

asked the Minister of Power whether he will include other technical failures in the terms of reference of the inquiry into the recent failure of gas supplies.

Mr. Frederick Lee

I have not yet settled the terms of reference of the inquiry but I intend that it should cover all relevant matters.

Mr. Digby

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind the failures like the one instanced in Question No. 17 asked by his hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mr. Rowland), and give an example of some of the failures which are occurring?

Mr. Lee

Question No. 17 is about smells, but I do not think the smell would get from Tipton to West Dorset, which is about 150 miles. However, I will look at the question again.