HL Deb 28 April 1981 vol 419 cc1160-1

[References are to Bill [66] as first printed for the Commons]

1Clause 1, page 2, line 2, leave out from (" by ") to end of line 8, and insert (" approved operating and maintenance instructions.")

2Clause 1, page 2, line 15, at end insert (" or is accompanied by approved operating and maintenance instructions (or both)")

3 Page 3, line 22, at end insert— ("( ) "approved operating and maintenance instructions" means operating and maintenance instructions approved in accordance with the following, provisions of this Part of this Act by any type approval body appointed under section 3 or with any relevant Community requirements by any person authorised in accordance with those requirements;")

4 Clause 2, page 4, leave out line 7, and insert ("appliance of a description specified in the order in respect of which a type approval under section 4 is in force, or has been applied for, and")

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 1 to 4. I hope the House will agree my taking Amendments Nos. 1 to 4 en bloc as they all concern the same subject. As my noble friend Lord Gowrie pointed out when the Bill was considered by your Lordships' House, it provides powers for the Government to require approved operating and maintenance instructions to be supplied with new heat generators. He said then—and I am sure the point was well taken by your Lordships—that the way an appliance is used and maintained has an important bearing on its efficiency. However, in its original form the Bill did not provide similar powers in relation to gas appliances. This reflected the fact that the EEC directive on heat generators specifically refers to such instructions while the draft gas appliances directive does not.

Since your Lordships considered the Bill it has become clear, as a result of continuing work in Brussels and of comments made both in Committee in another place and by the British Gas Corporation, that proper operating and maintenance instructions are as important for gas appliances as for heat generators. The Government therefore introduced this amendment which will allow approved operating and maintenance instructions to be required for new gas appliances as well as new heat generators. I am sure your Lordships will agree that these are sensible amendments and will give them your support.

Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said amendments.—(Lord Skelmersdale.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.