HC Deb 04 July 1967 vol 749 cc1556-7
21. Mr. Bob Brown

asked the Minister of Power if he will list the percentage of appliance fixing jobs allocated to private firms by each area gas board.

Mr. Freeson

This is a matter for the boards, who do not publish such statistics.

Mr. Brown

Would my hon. Friend not accept that there is an undesirably high percentage of the work of appliance fixing being allocated to private firms? Does he want in this country the situation which exists in the United States where gas companies are responsible simply for manufacture and distribution while private industry is responsible for the rest? If he wants that, let him come clean and say so.

Mr. Freeson

As I understand the position, the boards are seeking to maintain a proper balance in this connection bearing very much in mind the point which my hon. Friend made a little earlier—the conversion programme over the years to come. There will be allocations of fitting work to private enterprise and also work undertaken by the boards by direct labour. The area boards sold upwards of two million appliances, other than central heating units, in the year ended 31st March, 1967.