§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether, in view of Her Majesty's Government's announcement of a 4 per cent. salary and wage increase limit in the public sector, he will take action to limit any increases in fuel charges for coal, gas and electricity to 4 per cent.
§ Mr. Lawson:No: the financial and economic considerations involved are different. In any even, the 4 per cent. pay factor announced on 15 September is a broad measure of what the Government think reasonable and can be afforded as a general allowance for increases in public services pay at the present stage of planning public expenditure: it does not imply that all public service pay increases will or should be 4 per cent.—some may be less and some may be more.