HC Deb 14 June 1990 vol 174 c299W
Mr. Dobson

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will give for each year from 1978 the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by the Privy Council Office, expressing the figures in(a) cash terms, (b) 1978–79 money terms and (c) units of consumption for electricity in kilowatt hours, gas in therms, liquid fuel in litres and solid fuel in tonnes.

Sir Geoffrey Howe

[holding answer 5 June 1990]: The Privy Council Office, as the joint occupier of a building complex, pays a negotiated proportion of composite charges for gas, and for electricity. The office does not incur any costs in repect of liquid or solid fuels. The total units of consumption for gas and electricity in the financial year 1989–90 were given in my answer on 10 May 1990, but comparable figures for the previous decade could not be accurately calculated except at disproportionate cost. The annual costs to the Department in cash, and 1978–79 money, terms for gas and electricity for those years for which figures are available are as follows:

Cash terms 1978–79 money terms
Gas £ Electricity £ Gas £ Electricity £
1983–84 1,350 6,150 793 3,611
1984–85 1,854 8,446 1,037 4,725
1985–86 2,160 9,840 1,146 5,224
1986–87 2,511 11,439 1,289 5,874
1987–88 1,782 8,118 868 3,956
1988–89 1,675 7,632 762 3,472
1989–90 1,920 10,923 820 4,666