§ Mr. Eggarasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will issue a general 564W direction to the British Gas Corporation to produce its annual accounts using (a) historic cost accounting methods and (b) current cost accounting methods.
§ Mr. Norman LamontNo. The accounting profession is still in the process of drawing up a standard for inflation accounting. At present the practice of the British Gas Corporation is consistent with the recommendations of the interim code of practice on accounting in the nationalised industries issued by the nationalised industries chairmen's group last February.
§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy towards the introduction of private capital into the British Gas Corporation.
§ Mr. Norman LamontI have no such plans at present.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of the total annual income of the British Gas Corporation is spent on (a) research and development, (b) exploration and development on the United Kingdom continental shelf and (c) distribution and marketing.
§ Mr. John MooreThe amounts spent by the British Gas Corporation and its subsidiary companies under the headings shown below, together with the percentages of total income which they represent for 1978–79, are as follows:
£ million per cent. Research, Testing, and Development 29.4 1.0 UK Continental Shelf Exploration and Development 36.8 1.2 Transmission, Distribution, and Marketing 561.9 18.9