§ Mr. Mudd asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he has yet received the report of the Government's Policy 234W Studies Institute into the incidence of gas and electricity consumer disconnections in the South-West of England; if the report lists the number of disconnections for gas and electricity, respectively, for 1979–80 and 1980–81; what is the percentage increase or decrease revealed by the figures and what steps he will be recommending to the regional gas and electricity boards in anticipation of the issuing of the main winter fuel accounts with effect from the end of March 1982, in an attempt to reduce the numbers of disconnections.
§ Mr. Mellor:The report by the Policy Studies Institute of its review of the fuel supply industries' code of practice on the payment of bills was published on 14 October following its receipt by the sponsors—the industries and the gas and electricity consumers' councils. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. The report does not list the numbers of gas and electricity disconnections sought. This information can, however, be derived from disconnection data already published and is as follows:
Disconnections 1979–80 1980–81 Percentage increase South Western Electricity Board
2,040 2,420 18.6 South Western Gas Region 255 351 37.6 I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) and for Gosport (Mr. Viggers) on 20 October on the action that I have already taken with the fuel industries in the light of this report.