§ 15. Mr. Aspinwallasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he is satisfied with the progress being made on energy conservation by British industry.
§ Mr. MellorThere has been some encouraging progress in response to our policies of economic pricing of energy backed up by a strong information programme. I shall be publishing very soon the report by Armitage Norton Consultants on the impediments to energy conservation investment to stimulate a wide discussion on how the remaining potential for cost-effective energy conservation investment in industry might best be realised.
§ Mr. AspinwallI thank the Minister for that reply. From the report, I understand that foreign-owned firms have a better record than British-owned firms on energy conservation. What are the Minister's proposals for encouraging British firms to save more energy?
§ Mr. MellorThe report showed that, of the companies sampled, foreign-owned firms had a better record than British firms. The report did not say that the British firms were entirely laggard. Indeed, many British firms have a good record. However, the important point to emerge from the report is that the great barrier to energy conservation in industry is attitudes, not an absence of funds. The publicity policies propagated by my Department must address themselves to that.
§ Mr. RostWhat progress is being made on implementing a scheme for labelling domestic appliances, given that that could make a major contribution to energy conservation?
§ Mr. MellorThe Department is considering that matter, and I think that my hon. Friend will hear more about it in the reasonably near future.
§ Mr. SkinnerIs the Minister aware that, during the past three years, the Tory Government have conserved energy in a way that has resulted in putting 4 million people on the scrap heap? Does the hon. Gentleman recognise that there are now more than 40 million tonnes of coal on the pit tops and that that is mainly the result of 20,000 bankruptcies? Many people have been laid off and, as a result, the energy that should be used to reduce the employment queue is not being used.
§ Mr. MellorI was about to welcome the hon. Gentleman as someone who, belatedly, has become interested in industrial energy conservation. However, it would be inappropriate to stray into the area into which the hon. Gentleman has invited me.
Mr. EdieGiven the answers that I have received to my written questions, it would appear that the hon. Gentleman wishes to keep the progress that he has made on energy conservation a secret. Incidentally, he promised that he would look into that matter. Rayner is to examine the whole question of energy conservation. Will he be motivated by a Government who want to spend more or less on energy conservation? Given Rayner's past performance, less will be spent.
§ Mr. MellorRayner is to scrutinise the way in which conservation is carried forward and its efficiency.