§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received from the gas and electricity industries concerning his suggestion that they re-examine the possibility of helping small consumers by limiting standing charges to not more than half of any particular bill.
§ Mr. Mellor:The BGC and the Electricity Council have agreed to consider this proposal further.
§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate for how many pensioners the standing charge is more than 50 per cent. of each quarterly fuel bill.
§ Mr. Mellor:Precise figures are not available, but it is estimated that the total number of consumers for whom standing charges exceed 50 per cent. of their bills, and who might therefore benefit under a scheme for limiting them to 50 per cent. of a quarterly bill, is about 1 million gas consumers and about 750,000 electricity consumers. Around half of these would be pensioners.
§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will now publish the review of standing charges which his Department has been jointly undertaking with the Department of Health and Social Security since January 1982.
§ Mr. Mellor:I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Cannock (Mr. Roberts) on 20 October.—[Vol. 29, c. 132.] Work is proceeding. I do not propose to publish further results at this stage.