§ Mr. Proctorasked the Prime Minister if she will set out in the Official Report (a) the price of gas, (b) the price of electricity and (c) average earnings in 1974; if she will also set out comparable figures for 1984; and if she will show the increase in (a), (b) and (c) in financial and percentage terms over the last 10 years.
§ The Prime MinisterThe information requested is given in the following table.
(a) Average price of gas (including standing charge) to domestic credit meter consumers in Great Britain using 400 therms/annum Pence/therm 1 April 1974 12.6 1 April 1984 44.7 Increase 32.1 Percentage increase 255 Source: BGC.
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(b) Average price of electricity (including standing charge) to consumers in England and Wales on the standard domestic tariff using 3,300 KWh/annum Pence/KWh 1 April 1974 1.493 1 April 1984 6.027 Increase 4.534 Percentage increase 304 Source: Electricity Council.
(c) Average earnings Great Britain (all full-time employees aged 18 years or over) £/week 1 April 1974 41.00 1 April 1984 *157.00 Increase 116.00 Percentage increase 283 Source: Department of Employment new earnings surveys.
Note:
* The 1984 figure is an estimate based on the 1983 new earnings survey with the addition of 7¾ per cent. corresponding to the increase in underlying average earnings for the average earnings index.