§ 9. Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for Energy when he intends to place in the Library a copy of the report into the energy efficiency needs of poor households, as requested by the Energy Committee.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerIt is not Government practice to publish working papers used only as a basis for advice to Ministers.
§ Mr. FatchettWill the Secretary of State admit that it would be useful to publish those documents, given that any study of energy efficiency among poor households would show that defective building and design are often the cause of much energy loss and large energy bills? Would not the publication of those documents be useful as a prerequisite to interdepartmental action, which is absolutely necessary, and which would go a long way to alleviate the fuel policy that so bedevils our society?
§ Mr. WalkerThere is no publication of documents. The hon. Gentleman is referring to working papers prepared by certain officials of my Department. No Government—Labour or Conservative—have decided, for a whole range of reasons, to publish those papers. My Department has published a whole range of papers on these issues arising from those working documents.