HC Deb 22 April 1983 vol 41 c515 9.34 am
Mr. John Spellar (Birmingham, Northfield)

It gives me great pleasure to present a petition on standing charges in public utilities, and a petition in similar terms with 23,000 signatures from pensioners in the west midlands. The petitioners draw attention to the national call for the abolition of standing charges for gas and electricity supplied to pensioners, and to the policy of raising gas prices by 10 per cent. more than inflation. They point out that pensioners received no allowances on November 1980 or November 1981 to cover the 25 per cent. and 22 per cent. increases in gas prices in the 12 months following each date respectively. The petition further refers to the almost 400 per cent. increase in gas standing charges for pensioners on fixed incomes, which has been and still is a major hardship. Wherefore your petitioners pray that your Honourable House will pass the Standing Charges of Public Utilities to Pensioners (Regulation) Bill, at present awaiting its Second Reading, as soon as is possible. I hope that the latter sentence will be noted by the Government Whips later today.

To lie upon the Table.