§ 2. Mr. RostTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he is satisfied with progress towards the development of a competitive gas market by independent suppliers.
§ Mr. Wakeham[pursuant to his reply, 15 July 1991, cols. 3–4]: Forty-five per cent. of the new gas contracted during the period 1 June 1990 to 31 May 1991 was for supply to the market by companies other than British Gas. Of this 45 per cent., 66 per cent. was sold for power generation. The remaining 34 per cent., amounting to 15 per cent. of total new gas contracted during the year, was destined for the general industrial and commerical market.
For the two-year monitoring period 1 June 1989 to 31 May 1991 the corresponding figures are: 37 per cent. of new gas contracted was for supply to the market by companies other than British Gas. Eighty per cent. of this was for power generation, and 20 per cent., amounting to 7 per cent. of total gas contracted, was for sale to industrial and commercial customers.
Actual deliveries of new gas to industrial and commercial customers by suppliers other than British Gas were equivalent to just over 1 per cent. of British Gas-contract sales in 1991.