§ 13. Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the respective benefits to consumers of his Department's domestic heating discount scheme and those given to members of the city of Birmingham's heating and rent payments scheme.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Energy (Dr. John Cunningham)The electricity discount scheme enables those eligible to claim a £5 payment, or a discount on one winter electricity bill over £20 received from an electricity board—or in some cases both. Under Birmingham's heating and rent payments scheme, tenants' electricity board bills are sent to the council for payment out of fixed charges paid weekly by the tenant. Special arrangements have been agreed to enable those eligible among about 2,000 tenants to claim the discount on their bills. A proposal to enable the remainder to do so is under discussion with the council.
§ Mr. LitterickI am most grateful for that answer. Can the Minister confirm that he and his civil servants have been in discussion and negotiations with the Birmingham city council on this matter since October or November? Can he also confirm that there are considerable administrative difficulties, both at the council end and the Department's end, in the way of marrying up the respective benefits and demands of the two schemes? Can he give the House and Birmingham's pensioners an assurance that, one way or another, the money that should be made available to pensioners for this purpose, through the discount scheme, will ultimately be made available to them?
§ Dr. CunninghamI certainly assure my hon. Friend that my civil servants and I will do everything that we can to facilitate a solution to the problems in order that his elderly and lame constituents can, if possible, benefit from the discount scheme. I assure him that we shall continue to work to that end with officials of the Birmingham city council, as we have been doing since the autumn. I take this opportunity to regret and reject the accusations of the leader of the city council about the part played by the Department in this matter.
§ Mr. Tim RentonCan the Minister also explain to consumers the reasons behind his Department's recent decision to allow the Price Commission to investigate the electricity industry's application to increase charges? Is that not a further crude attempt to slow down the rise in inflation before the election and is it not bound, as Sir Francis Tombs has already said, to lead to higher electricity prices immediately after the election?
§ Dr. CunninghamI suggest that the hon. Gentleman should put down a question on that matter.