§ Mr. Laneasked the Minister of Power, (1) if he will direct the gas boards or the Gas Council, in order to encourage sale of North Sea gas, to assist companies in meeting capital costs that may accrue due to conversion to North Sea gas;
(2) how much money he estimates will be advanced in 1969, 1970 and 1971, respectively, by the nationalised gas industry in assisting companies to meet capital costs that may accrue due to conversion to natural gas.
§ Mr. FreesonNo. The Area Boards are already required to bear the cost of converting existing industrial gas consumers to natural gas. In some cases, however, such a consumer may agree to bear the cost himself, this being taken into account in the terms offered for the supply of natural gas. In the case of new industrial consumers changing over from other fuels, the cost of conversion is one of the factors they take into account when assessing the advantages of the changeover.