§ Mr. Muddasked the Secretary of State for Energy what progress has been made in the current review of the gas and electricity industies' code of practice on disconnections; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThis review is being carried out by the Policy Studies Institute and is sponsored by British Gas, the Electricity Council and the industries' consumer councils. An interim report has now been delivered to the sponsors. The final report will be produced next year. The interim report points out the importance of prepayment meters as a means of helping people to avoid disconnection. It also suggests that the blind, severely sick and disabled are quite often numbered amongst those who have fuel debts or are disconnected. I have already had discussions with the industry on the interim report, and I am glad to tell the House that it has agreed to amend the code of practice to make clear that prepayment meters are 223W now more readily available, provided installation is safe and practical and to emphasise that people who are blind, severely sick and disabled and who have problems with fuel bills, should contact the fuel industries for advice.
The report also draws attention to the danger of inadvertent breach of the code when supplies are disconnected from a point outside the consumer's home without a warrant and when no adult is on the premises. The industries will in such circumstances take precautions to ensure that the code is fully observed. More generally, the Government have also asked the fuel industries to ensure that staff at all levels are familiar with the code and observe it fully.
The industries have launched a winter advertising campaign about easier payment methods and these will continue during the coming months. The industries emphasise that the best way of avoiding disconnection is to contact them at once if there is likely to be difficulty in paying a bill, and not to wait until the bill arrives.
The Department of Energy has published a leaflet giving a quick guide to the various forms of help and advice available on heating costs. This can be obtained through the coal, gas and electricity industries, Citizens' Advice Bureaux and other organisations. Over half a million copies of the leaflet have already been distributed, 100,000 of them in the past week alone. The Department will print more copies as necessary.