§ Mr. David Atkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish a comparison for domestic and commercial gas prices between the United Kingdom and other European Economic Community countries as at 1 January 1982.
§ Mr. John MooreThe latest available gas price data, based on an informal survey conducted among the gas undertakings in certain European cities, are as follows and relate to tariffs in force on 1 July 1981; they are inclusive of taxes. Prices for Ireland and Luxembourg are not available.
In making international price comparisons it must be borne in mind that difficulties can arise in times of changing prices and exchange rate fluctuations. There can, moreover, be a wide range of prices within countries and differences in the methods of collecting data may not always provide comparable figures.
pence/therm* Domestic Commercial Annual Consumption 400 therms 10,000 therms Brussels 51.5 38.8 Copenhagen† 79.7 74.6 Paris 65.3 41.4 Dusseldorf 50.2 41.4 Manchester 31.6 27.5 Turin 32.8 36.5 Amsterdam 30.4 27.5 * Calculated on the basis of the average exchange rates prevailing in June and July 1981.
† Prices relate to town gas.