§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy if carbonisation gas is to be phased out in Northern Ireland; and what steps are being taken to preserve the gas network for eventual use of natural gas from the continental shelf.
§ Mr. Giles ShawI have been asked to reply.
In my statement on 23 July 1979 on energy policy in Northern Ireland I announced that a gas pipeline connecting Northern Ireland and Great Britain would not be proceeded with as it was economically unviable. In addition I made clear that Government support of the Northern Ireland gas industry from public funds could not be justified on a continuing basis. In the light of this, almost all the undertakings have chosen to close.
The existing mains and distribution systems are, in general, of considerable age and no policy of systematic replacement has been operated by any of the undertakings.
Gas losses in the system in Northern Ireland are unacceptably high—for example, in Belfast, unaccounted-for gas represents 25 per cent. of production. In the circumstances the existing system must be extremely suspect, and to place such a system on a costly care and maintenance basis to await an as yet unpredictable availability of natural gas from the continental shelf would be unwarranted.