HL Deb 26 January 1977 vol 379 cc466-8

2.42 p.m.

Lord WYNNE-JONES

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will state how many of the gas explosions which have occurred in the last three months have been caused by leakages in the urban distribution system.

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, it is not possible at this stage to say with certainty how many of the explosions involving gas in the last three months have been caused by leaks in the urban distribution system, but the extent to which they are attributable to this factor is one of the many questions into which the inquiry team, set up jointly by the Secretary of State and the Chairman of the British Gas Corporation, will be looking.

Lord WYNNE-JONES

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for his Answer. Obviously we are grateful for the setting up of the inquiry. I should like to ask my noble friend two questions about the inquiry. First, is it satisfactory that the personnel of the inquiry are restricted to the Gas Board and to those particular people who were involved in the previous inquiry of the Morton Committee in 1970? Further, is it satisfactory that the terms of reference seem to be restricted to finding relationships between the various types of explosions that have taken place rather than providing to inquire, generally, into the whole cause of these explosions?

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, I must refute any suggestions that the inquiry team, who are all very distinguished gentlemen and experts in this field and who all agreed to serve at short notice, will not be objective or impartial. The terms of reference are very wide and quite sufficient to allow the point made by my noble friend.

Lord PARGITER

My Lords, to what extent do the higher pressures of North Sea gas contribute to this situation as against the lower pressure of the old town gas?

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, natural gas is safe provided that it is used in correctly designed and properly maintained equipment. This is one of the matters being considered by the inquiry.

The Earl of HALSBURY

My Lords, will the noble Lord confirm that the wide terms of reference to which he referred include investigation of the effect of the exceptionally dry summer and in some cases the settlement of earth which was a result of that dry summer?

Lord STRABOLGI

Yes, my Lords, those are certainly matters for the inquiry.

Lord HARMAR-NICHOLLS

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that, although his noble friend would not want him to impugn the impartiality of those on the inquiry, if members on this inquiry previously reported that there was not likely to be any danger when we moved to the use of North Sea gas, it would be just as well, in order to promote confidence outside the inquiry, that someone should sit on it who is not committed to that extent in the previous report?

Lord STRABOLGI

No, my Lords, I cannot accept that. The chairman of the present inquiry assisted in the previous inquiry but he did not chair it, and the other two members were not involved.