asked the Secretary of State for Energy what provision was made in total by the electricity boards at the last accounting date for bad and doubtful debts and what amonnt they wrote off in total for bad debts in their last accounting year.

The provision for bad and doubtful debts made in total by area electricity boards at 31st March 1974 was £4·8 million. Total bad debts written off by boards in 1973–74, allowing for recoveries in that year of debts written off in previous years, was £4·1 million.