§ Mr. Ronald Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for Energy when the British Gas Corporation's 10-year gas conversion exercise is due to be finished; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. John A. CunninghamConversion to natural gas in Wales was completed in June 1974 and in England in August 1976. In Scotland it is scheduled for completion in September 1977. Inevitably an undertaking of this magnitude has not been without its problems, but the British Gas Corporation, its conversion contractors and all those manufacturers218W involved in providing the huge variety of conversion sets, are to be congratulated on the success of this complex and difficult operation.
§ Mr. Ronald Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the relative speed of the British Gas Corporation's conversions from town to natural gas compared with conversions in Japan, the Netherlands and Budapest, taking into account the number of conversions.
§ Dr. John A. CunninghamThe British Gas Corporation's 10-year conversion programme represents an average of 1,340,000 customer conversions per annum. The organisation of gas supply undertakings in other countries leads to less intensive and more fragmented conversion programmes. I understand that conversion of 2 million customers in the Netherlands took four and a half years, and that conversion of 5 million Japanese customers will take up to 12 years; while Budapest has a 15-year programme, and although the number of customers involved is not known, the annual average rate is expected to be modest.