§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will issue a general direction to the boards supplying energy that they should not cut off the supplies of persons owing debts and having unpaid bills until such time as the social services committees in the areas concerned, have been advised and examined the background to the cases and to see that unfair and extreme hardship is not caused to young and innocent children.
§ Mr. Norman LamontNo. Families with young children are already covered 581W by the gas and electricity industries' code of practice, which incorporates safeguards against disconnection in cases of real hardship.
§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many domestic consumers were disconnected by each gas or electricity area board as a result of non-payment of accounts during the quarter ended 30 September.
§ Mr. Norman LamontFigures for the number of gas and electricity domestic consumers disconnected for non-payment of accounts during the quarter ended 30 September 1979 are as follows:
Area Electricity Board London … 5,138 South-Eastern … 1,106 Southern … 1,018 South-Western … 587 Eastern … 2,574 East Midlands … 3,161 Midlands … 3,789 South Wales … 788 Merseyside and North Wales … 1,867 Yorkshire … 3,128 North-Eastern … 1,951 North-Western … 2,471 27,578
Gas Region Scottish … … … 741 Northern … … … 1,502 North-Western … … … 1,755 North-Eastern … … … 700 East Midlands … … … 975 West Midlands … … … 1,357 Wales … … … 139 Eastern … … … 523 North Thames … … … 2,105 South-Eastern … … … 1,108 Southern … … … 329 South-Western … … … 83 11,317