§ Mr. William Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many homes in Northern Ireland are served by district heating systems; and how many such systems there are;
(2) what is the cost of the replacement of the Twinbrook district heating system; what was its projected life when installed; what was the total cost and the cost per dwelling 29W when installed; and how much cheaper it was in total and per dwelling when installed than individual solid fuel heating systems as installed in other comparable houses;
(3) what is the expected life of each district heating system in Northern Ireland; and when they are each due for replacement;
(4) if it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to replace worn out district heating systems in Northern Ireland by a new district heating system or by individual heating systems in each dwelling.
§ Mr. David MitchellThere are 25 district heating schemes serving about 8,200 Northern Ireland Housing Executive homes.
The cost of replacing the district heating system at Twinbrook is estimated to be £2 million. The final cost will, however, depend on the extent to which internal pipework and radiators can be re-used; and a decision on the form of heating to be provided in flats and maisonettes. The additional financial information asked for is not readily available but I shall write to the hon. Gentleman.
Normally district heating systems have an expected life of about 25 years. However, at Twinbrook serious defects in underground piping led to an unacceptable level of breakdowns and made it necessary to replace this particular system earlier. Elsewhere most systems are operating satisfactorily. If any system has to be replaced in the future, the form of heating used would depend on the circumstances of the particular case.