§ Dr. Owenasked the Secretary of State for Energy what number of people are expected to claim a voucher under the electricity discount scheme for the 1979–80; what is the estimated total cost of the voucher scheme in 1979–80 and the actual total cost of vouchers in 1978–79; what number of people claimed the £5 lump sum in 1978–79 and what is the estimated number of claimants for 1979–80 on the basis of the existing scheme.
§ Mr. Norman LamontOn a scheme for 1979–80 I have nothing to add to my 865W reply to the hon. Members for Battersea, South (Mr. Dubs), Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker), Woolwich, East (Mr. Cartwright) on 9 July. The final cost of discount vouchers issued for the winter 1978–79 scheme is not yet known, but to date totals about £18 million. The numbers claiming the £5 payment under that scheme totalled 3,105,353.
§ Dr. Owenasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the estimated cost of extending the electricity discount voucher scheme to cover gas, oil, coal and paraffin bills respectively for the year 1979–80.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe electricity discount scheme offers a discount of 25 per cent. for those eligible, on the amount by which one winter quarter's electricity bill exceeds £20. It would not be practicable to extend this approach to coal, oil and paraffin because of their different patterns of distribution and purchase. I can give no precise estimate of the possible cost of extending the scheme to gas, but, on the assumption that the discount were available on the same basis as described above for electricity, additional expenditure of the order of £15 million or more might be involved.