§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy how much United Kingdom gas is now made available for (a) chemical provision and (b) use as a fuel.
§ Mr. Norman LamontTotal sales of natural gas by the British Gas Corporation and directly by the producers were, provisionally, 16.6 thousand million therms in 1979. 81 per cent. of the gas was derived from the United Kingdom Continental Shelf and the balance was imported.
Actual figures for natural gas consumption as feedstock by the chemical industry are not available, but it is estimated that between 1,000 and 1,500 million therms may have been used for this purpose.
In addition, there were deliveries of some 100 million therms (provisional) of petroleum gases as feedstock for petrochemical plants.