HC Deb 18 May 1976 vol 911 c475W
Mr. Mike Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Energy why data used in "Energy Tariffs and the Poor" was drawn from the 1973 Family Expenditure Survey although the 1974 FES was available at least five months prior to the report's publication.

Mr. Oakes

Because the studies in "Energy Tariffs and the Poor" were substantially completed before 1974 FES data and the appropriate computer programme for their analysis were available.

Mr. Mike Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether he will publish updated versions of the tables in "Energy Tariffs and the Poor", which draw on the 1972 Electricity Council Sample Survey of Domestic Consumers, adjusted to take account of the increase in energy prices since then and the particularly mild winter to 1972;

(2) whether he will publish a full list of the sources from which each figure and table in "Energy Tariffs and the Poor" is calculated;

(3) whether he will publish the information contained in the tables in "Energy Tariffs and the Poor" analysed by proportion of income spent on fuel rather than level of consumption.

Mr. Oakes

I am looking into these Questions and will let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.