§ Lord Jenkins of Putneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the Rayner Scrutiny on "How the Government Handles Energy Conservation" is critical of the Government; and whether this is the reason for the long delay in publishing it.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy (The Earl of Avon)One of the main objects of commissioning the Rayner Scrutiny was in order to identify ways of improving efficiency and effectiveness in the area of activity under study. The Rayner Scrutiny naturally, therefore, concentrated on aspects where change seemed necessary. The resulting report makes a number of recommendations for improving the organisation and effectiveness of the Government's energy conservation policy. The Government are studying the report closely and, when their own response is agreed, will make public the report and its decisions.