To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the estimated savings per week resulting from the abolition of the gas levy for (a) the average household, (b) those in the lowest decile of income distribution, (c) those in the highest decile of income distribution and (d) old age pensioners. [8652]

The estimated average savings from the proposed reduction of the gas levy to zero from April 1998 are given in the following table.

Household type	Saving (£ per week)	As a percentage of net income
Average household	0.10	0.03
Households in the lowest income decile	0.10	0.09
Households in the highest income decile	0.15	0.02
Pensioners	0.10	0.05

Figures for pounds per week gain are rounded to the nearest 5p. Household incomes are adjusted for differences in composition before allocating households to deciles of net income.