§ 2.48 p.m.
§ LORD ILFORDMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what failures in the supply of gas to domestic consumers took place during the recent cold weather.]
THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD STONITAM)My Lords, I assume the noble Lord refers to failures directly accountable to the cold weather. Gas pressure was reduced for about 48 hours on the eastern and western fringes of the North Thames Gas Board area during the week-end of February 8 to 10, and for a shorter period in the West Surrey district of the South Eastern Gas Board. Gas supply failed for some 12 hours on February 8 in the Princes Risborough district of the Southern Gas Board. The shortfalls were caused by the freezing of equipment in exposed places.
§ LORD ILFORDMy Lords, are not these failures in gas supply becoming regular events at the onset of every winter? Cannot the gas authorities appreciate that in winter there is likely 1003 to be snow and frost against which their undertakings require protection?
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, I do not agree that these failures are very regular. Out of the 12 Area Boards in the country only three were in any way affected and these were minor failures. Indeed, there was no failure in gas supply except in the Princes Risborough district which lasted for 12 hours. Exposed equipment is insulated and also can be protected by electrically-heated tapes. In this instance, the equipment was being brought into use for the first time and the insulation was not fully effective due to the very sudden drop in temperature.
§ LORD LEATHERLANDMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend a question on the matter of gas? It is a non-critical and friendly question. Is he aware that there are hundreds of thousands of people who have installed gas-fired central heating in their homes, people who are not technical and who are really frightened about what may happen if the pilot light goes out when a sudden lowering of gas pressure occurs? Can my noble friend approach the various Area Boards to make sure that they publicise a simple explanation, probably through the Press, as to what people should do in such circumstances?
§ LORD STONHAMYes, my Lords; I will certainly consider that. We should be very concerned about any anxieties of the public in this matter. But in the particular case that I mentioned at Princes Risborough, fitters called at no fewer than 3,000 homes, and steps were taken to open the district offices to deal with all kinds of cases. In one case portable butane heaters were provided for a home containing a newly-born child, and in another case a butane heater was supplied to a chicken hatchery. We do everything that we possibly can.
§ LORD ILFORDMy Lords, is it not the case that when the local authorities and the great statutory companies were responsible for supplies these failures were of much less frequent occurrence?
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, I cannot accept three incidents, two of which resulted in a lessening of supplies—not a cessation of supplies for 48 hours—and the other in 1,700 consumers being with- 1004 out supplies for 12 hours, as matters of frequent occurrence during a winter lasting months over the whole area of England and Wales. These incidents are regrettable, but they are incomparably less than they were years ago when the noble Lord's Party were in office.