§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the percentage increase in (a) the fuel allowance and (b) the supplementary benefit heating addition from May 1979 to November 1981; and how this compares with the percentage increases in the cost of (i) electricity and (ii) gas in the same period.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe information about the supplementary benefit heating addition—sometimes referred to as the "fuel allowance"—is given below:
Supplementary Benefit Heating Addition (basic rate) £ May 1979 0.85 November 1981 1.65 per cent. Percentage Increase 94.1 In the same period the price of gas to the domestic consumer will have risen by 67 per cent. and of electricity by 67.8 per cent. as measured by the movement of the gas and electricity components of the retail prices index to November 1981, assuming that domestic gas prices rise by 15 per cent. on average from 1 April 1981 and by 10 per 77W cent. on average from 1 October 1981, and that domestic electricity prices rise by 11 per cent. on average from 1 April 1981.