§ Mr. Ronald Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many domestic customers, commercial gas users, industrial gas users and appliances, respectively, have been converted from town to natural gas.
§ Dr. John A. CunninghamThe figures (in thousands) at 28th May—when barely 65,000 consumers and 150,000 appliances remained to be converted—were as follows:
Customers Appliances Domestic 12,932 32,405 Commercial 385 2,222 Industrial 57 Not available
§ Mr. Ronald Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the total cost in real terms of the British Gas Corporation's gas conversions as compared with the cost envisaged 10 years ago.
§ Dr. John A. CunninghamThe latest estimate of final actual expenditure is £577 million. A precise comparison of this figure in real terms with the estimate before the conversion programme began—£400 million at 1966 prices—is not readily available but would obviously show a very substantial improvement on the original forecast.