§ Mr. Lubbockasked the Minister of Technology if he will bring up to date the previous estimates of the total cost of converting consumers' appliances to natural gas, in the light of the gas industry's experience so far.
§ Mr. BennInitial costs of the conversion programme are bound to be high and costs of labour and materials and the number of consumers expected to require conversion have increased since the original estimate of £400 million at 1966 cost levels. But with less than 8 per cent. of consumers so far converted, it is too early to say on this limited experience how much these factors will increase the total cost of the ten-year programme.