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23.
Mr. Willey
asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make a statement on his examination of the social implications of various possible modifications to the structure of gas and electricity tariffs.
Mr. Eadie
The examination of the structure of energy tariffs is a continuing process. My right hon. Friend will, however, have noticed that the recent gas price increases were weighted so as to bear less heavily on the small consumer. The Electricity Council's price proposals now before the Price Commission have a similar effect. The basic problem of carrying the process much further is, however, that substantial numbers of the poorer members of our society are also quite substantial consumers of gas or electricity.