§ Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Power What estimate he has made of the total fuel saved, expressed in terms of coal equivalent, in new factory space erected during the four-and-a-half years prior to 30th June, 1962, as a result of the operation of the Thermal Insulation (Industrial Buildings) Act, 1957; whether he is satisfied with the operation of the Act in this respect; and what steps he is taking further to raise standards of thermal insulation in both new and established industrial premises.
§ Mr. PeytonIt is difficult to give a precise estimate, but making assumptions as to roof area and allowing for exemptions and for the proportion of buildings that would have been insulated voluntarily a rough estimate of the average annual rate of new savings is just under 100,000 tons in each of the three and a half years since regulations prescribing standards of insulation under the Act came into force. This is equivalent to cumulative total savings of about three-quarters of a million tons over the whole of that period. The Act has operated satisfactorily with the present standards, which were designed to secure worthwhile fuel savings at reasonable capital cost. I do not propose to raise them. I am not empowered under the Act to prescribe standards for buildings established before 1st January, 1959.