HC Deb 16 February 1982 vol 18 cc145-6 3.34 pm
Mr. David Ennals (Norwich, North)

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 9, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the decision of the British Gas Corporation to announce on Thursday 18 February a 22 per cent. increase in domestic gas prices within the next nine months. As I understand it, it will be 12 per cent. in April and a further 10 per cent. in October.

This is a grave decision at a time when millions of people face great difficulties in paying their existing gas bills, particularly after one of the coldest winters in living memory. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced into debt and are paying off accumulated bills by reducing their immediate spending, including those on supplementary benefit. The advice bureau in my constituency is crowded with such examples. For those dependent on State benefits—pensioners, the sick, unemployed, one-parent families and others with very small incomes—this will come as a fearful blow causing grave hardship and, in many cases, disconnections for non-payment.

The cumulative effect will be an increase of over 100 per cent. in the price of domestic gas in the past two years. There will be a 22 per cent. increase this year when millions of people on benefit have been limited to an increase of 9 per cent. for the same period covered by these gas increases. Of course, this will affect the retail price index.

This decision comes only one week after an Energy Minister denied that there would be increases of this level. This is the first opportunity to raise the matter in the House since it was announced yesterday. The urgency of the matter is clear, because if it could be debated today or tomorrow it would give the House an opportunity of preventing the announcement of the decision on Friday. For once, the House of Commons would be able to speak. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I hope that you will accept my submission.

Mr. Speaker

The right hon. Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Ennals) gave me notice this morning before 12 noon today that he might seek to raise a matter under Standing Order No. 9 this afternoon.

The right hon. Gentleman asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely, the decision of the British Gas Corporation to announce on Thursday 18 February a 22 per cent. increase in domestic gas prices within the next nine months. As the House knows and will have heard me say more than once, this is not the only way by which a matter of this sort can be discussed, although in this case the right hon. Gentleman has drawn my attention to the shortage of time involved.

I have given careful consideration to what the right hon. Gentleman said and I have to bear in mind the instructions that the House has given me. I have to rule that his submission does not fall within the provisions of the Standing Order and, therefore, I cannot submit his application to the House.