Baroness VICKERSMy 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 savings in energy consumption and expenditure they would expect to arise from a programme of insulation of factories equivalent to the incentives relating to private sector housing under the Homes Insulation Act 1978.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, MINISTRY of DEFENCE (Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal)My Lords, the Homes Insulation Scheme provides for the payment of percentage grants subject to a maximum related to the cost of installing basic insulation in an average dwelling. An equivalent scheme for factories is therefore not a real option, in view of the great diversity of both size and construction among industrial buildings. As I am sure the noble Baroness knows, grants for insulating industrial and commercial premises are already available under the Energy Conservation Scheme.
Baroness VICKERSMy Lords, while I thank my noble friend for that reply, I should like to ask how the factories are progressing and whether they are taking advantage of this scheme. It seems to me that it would be very advantageous in more ways than one to have more factories using this scheme.
§ Lord STRATHCONA and MOUNT ROYALMy Lords, total grants of the order of £1 million have been made under this scheme and the estimated savings run at about £1.6 million a year.