HC Deb 16 February 1988 vol 127 cc592-3W
Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the number of households by district which have no electricity supply.

Mr. Viggers

The best currently available information is contained in table 18 of the 1984 Northern Ireland "House Condition Survey", a copy of which is available in the Library, which shows by region and district the number of dwellings without an electricity supply.

Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate how many households without electricity supply have made application for supply to Northern Ireland Electricity.

Mr. Viggers

None. In 1987 Northern Ireland Electricity received 18,111 applications regarding electricity supply, but its records do not show how many of these concerned existing households without supply.

Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the charges to the consumer for providing an electricity supply in(a) rural and (b) urban areas in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Viggers

Northern Ireland Electricity does not differentiate between urban and rural areas in determining its domestic connection charges. The basic position is that anyone seeking an electricity supply is required to pay 60 per cent. of the actual cost of connection. The cost can be reduced if spread over a number of households which are being connected simultaneously. In the case of new housing developments consisting of a group of 12 or more houses convenient to an existing mains supply, a fixed charge of £150 per house applies.

Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate what proportion of houses without electricity supply in Northern Ireland, by district, are farm households.

Mr. Viggers

None.

Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the levels of social security dependency in households which have no electricity supply.

Mr. Needham

The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the numbers of existing households in rural areas which have been supplied with electricity for the first time in the last five years.

Mr. Viggers

None. During the five-year period ending 31 December 1987 there was a net increase of 43,488 in the total number of households connected to the electricity supply system in Northern Ireland. However, Northern Ireland Electricity's records do not differentiate between urban and rural areas or existing and new houses.