§ Mr. Terlezkiasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gallons of oil were consumed in heating Her Majesty's prisons in the latest available year, and at what cost.
§ Mr. HurdDuring the 1982–83 financial year, approximately 17,513,000 gallons were consumed in prison department establishments in England and Wales at a cost of £10,565,452.
§ Mr. Terlezkiasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake studies of the cost benefits of conversion to coal-firing of the oil-firing heating systems in Her Majesty's prisons prior to the date when their replacement is necessitated by natural wear and tear.
§ Mr. HurdNo. The prison department already has major and complex maintenance and refurbishment programmes in hand at most of its establishments. It would not be practicable to undertake in-depth surveys of the 77 boiler installations fired by oil without unacceptable disruption to that work and to the prison daily routine. Energy consumption and costs are monitored on a monthly basis to ensure that poor efficiency in heat production and distribution is identified and dealt with as appropriate. At that stage the opportunity to convert to coal is not overlooked.