§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total cost to the Gas and Electricity Boards of disconnecting domestic consumers in the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. BennThis informaton is not available; the gas and electricity industries seek to recover the costs from the consumers so disconnected.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Energy, in view of his request to fuel boards not to disconnect certain categories of retirement pensioners before June 1976, what procedures are to be followed after that date.
§ Mr. BennThis will be for consideration in the light of the findings of the150W Kingdom fuel prices as between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. BennIt is difficult to make close comparisons of fuel prices between different parts of the United Kingdom because of differing consumption patterns and supply conditions—for example, natural gas is not available in Northern Ireland; also, wide variations can occur within different regions. The following table sets out some of the latest information which is available on a comparable basis, although it does not include some of the most recent price changes, and I regret that figures for coal are not readily available:
review of the procedures for payment of bills by gas and electricity consumers.