§ Mr. Home RobertsonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many households in the United Kingdom use gas from cylinders for(a) cooking and (b) heating; and if he will make a statement on the scale and impact of recent increases in the price of such gas supply.
§ Mr. PageIt is estimated that about 300,000 households use gas from cylinders for cooking and/or heating in Great Britain and 150,000 households in Northern Ireland. There are no statistics available breaking down the use of cylinder gas between cooking and heating.
I understand a temporary gas price surcharge was introduced around the beginning of February, reflecting an exceptional supply/demand imbalance in the international market for propane. The surcharge appears to be around 10 to 20 per cent. The suppliers have indicated that they expect to remove the surcharge in March.