HC Deb 02 March 1978 vol 945 cc363-4W
Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he has yet devised a method of analysing the annual changes in total United Kingdom energy consumption in order to estimate the effects of weather, energy prices, gross domestic product, and conservation on the total demand.

Mr. Benn

My Department periodically carries out studies to try to estimate the effects of these factors on energy consumption. They involve difficult problems both of the measurement and interpretation of data and the estimation of statistically significant relationships. These difficulties are particularly great while the present prolonged economic recession persists. It has therefore not yet proved possible to distinguish satisfactorily the separate influences of the individual factors which determine variations in energy consumption in the short term.

Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if, in the light of the rise in total United Kingdom energy consumption in 1977, he will estimate what contribution the energy conservation programme has made to these figures.

Mr. Benn

The inland energy consumption figures for the whole of 1977 are as yet only available on a primary fuel input basis and data for heat supplied is only available for the first three quarters of the year. Estimates of the contribution of energy conservation in 1977 are therefore not yet available.

Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish a table showing the rise over the previous year in total United Kingdom energy consumption for 1977 and for other EEC countries, the USA, Canada and Japan; and if, for comparison, he will indicate the rise in gross domestic product for each country.

Mr. Benn

Total inland energy consumption in the United Kingdom, measured on a primary fuel input basis, was provisionally 2.4 per cent. higher in 1977 than in the previous year. Preliminary estimates indicate that United Kingdom gross domestic product, based on output data only, was 1 per cent. higher in 1977 than in 1976.

In formation for other countries is not available.