§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will list all the increases in price of a unit of electricity since 1960;
(2) if he will list all the increases in price of a therm of gas since 1960.
§ Mr. BennIt would not be feasible to list all the changes in prices made in each tariff of the various electricity and gas authorities since 1960. Percentage changes in the indices for electricity and gas as estimated for use in compiling the general index of retail prices are shown below. These changes reflect mainly changes in tariffs but they also include, though to a lesser degree, changes in patterns and scales of consumption.
ANNUAL PERCENTAGE INCREASE ON PREVIOUS YEAR IN RETAIL PRICE INDEX* Electricity Gas 1961 … … 5 8 1962 … … 5 4 1963 … … 7 2 1964 … … 5 4 1965 … … 8 1 1966 … … 3 3 1967 … … 2 1 1968 … … 12 7 1969 … … — 4 1970 … … 1 -1 1971 … … 10 9 1972 … … 7 6 1973 … … 2 1 1974 … … 22 5 1975 … … 44 15 1976 (May) … … 23 20 * The figures show the percentage change between each year and the previous year in the annual average level of the Retail Price Index.