asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the present comparative costs, per therm, of coal, gas and oil.

Energy costs to the user vary greatly, depending on the class of consumer supplied, location, terms of supply and the grade or quality of fuel used. For a typical industrial consumer, current prices for coal and oil are estimated to be of the following order:

	p/therm
Coal (effective 1st April)	4½-5½
Heavy fuel oil	7½-8½

The last published figures for industrial gas show that the average price in 1972–73 varied from 3·1 to 4·7p/therm, according to region. With the general rise in fuel prices, the present range falls within that covered by coal and oil.