§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out for the year ended 31 March 1980 in each area electricity board and regional gas board (a) the number of domestic consumers, (b) the number disconnected for debt and (c) of those reconnected the number who had been disconnected for (i) one year or more, (ii) three months or more, (iii) one month or more, (iv) two weeks or more, (v) one week or more, (vi) two days or more and (vii) less than two days.
§ Mr. Norman LamontThe information requested under (a) and (b) and for (c) (iii) in the form collected by each industry is as follows: 21W
Area Electricity Board Average number of domestic, credit consumers 1979–80 Disconnections Reconnection after Disconnection for more than one month London 1,493,910 22,822 1,880 South-Eastern 1,502,359 3,506 580 Southern 1,683,075 3,602 620 South-Western 842,478 2,040 240 Eastern 2,276,369 8,145 1,710 East Midlands 1,605,345 10,415 890 Midlands 1,617,553 12,466 1,890 South Wales 691,367 2,614 530 Manweb 985,287 7,395 1,100 Yorkshire 1,596,835 10,613 2,340 North-Eastern 1,136,520 6,648 1,650 North-Western 1,690,803 8,728 2,090 Total 17,121,901 98,894 15,520
Gas Regions Number of domestic credit customers as at 31 March 1980 Disconnections Percentage reconnections within one month Scottish 741,232 2,179 9 Northern 712,232 4,349 9 North-Western 1,763,059 6,607 12 North-Eastern 841,167 1,925 9 East Midlands 1,356,096 2,933 13 West Midlands 1,344,971 5,141 18 Wales 459,095 534 17 Eastern 983,358 1,720 10 North Thames 1,377,398 7,985 33 South-Eastern 1,542,640 3,578 18 Southern 850,602 1,029 16 South-Western 605,101 255 11 Total 12,577,084 38,235 I am advised that the further analysis requested under part (c) of the question is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Disconnection for long periods is, however, one of the issues included in the current review of the industries' code of practice by the Policy Studies Institute.
§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is satisfied that the figures supplied by the London Electricity Board for the number of domestic consumers whose electricity supply has been disconnected for longer than one month as a result of debt are an accurate reflection of the true numbers.
§ Mr. Norman LamontI have no reason to doubt the board's figures.