§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the present comparative costs, per therm, of coal, gas and oil.
§ Mr. EadieEnergy costs to the user vary greatly, depending on the class of consumer supplied, location, terms of supply and the grade or quality of fuel used. For a typical industrial consumer, current prices for coal and oil are estimated to be of the following order:
p/therm Coal (effective 1st April) 4½-5½ Heavy fuel oil 7½-8½ The last published figures for industrial gas show that the average price in 1972–73 varied from 3.1 to 4.7p/therm, according to region. With the general rise in fuel prices, the present range falls within that covered by coal and oil.