Mr. Stantonasked the Secretary of State for Energy why the criteria for eligibility for discounts by electricity boards on electricity bills preclude persons living in residential caravan parks and others who pay the site owners or landlord for their supplies; and if he will again endeavour to introduce amended rules to cover needy people who do not receive electricity bills direct from their board.
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§ Dr. John CunninghamI regret that despite repeated and careful examination of this problem no way has been found of including this minority of consumers in the scheme. Electricity charges eligible for the discount must be verified. For most consumers this is done by production of an electricity board bill. No practical and sufficiently secure alternative can be devised for tenants paying landlords for their electricity because the methods of billing and charging them vary so widely. Those tenants receiving supplementary benefit or family income supplement have, however, benefited from the £5 payment introduced into the scheme to provide some help for people in this situation.