§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the nature of, and give references to, the statutory obligations of(a) British Gas plc to maintain standards of safety of all gas supplies and (b) the obligations on owners of property or householders in respect of safety of all gas equipment on their property; and what steps he expects to take to vary current statutes consequential to his proposed reorganisation of the gas industry.
§ Mr. OppenheimBritish Gas plc must comply with the general duties of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974. In addition, it must comply with the following specific legislation: the Gas Act 1986, schedule 5, which imposes duties on the public gas supplier to take immediate remedial action when there is a reported escape of gas; the Gas Quality Regulations 1972 and 1983, which impose duties concerning the pressure, odour and purity of gas supplied to consumers; the Gas Safety (Rights of Entry) Regulations 1983, which allow British Gas plc 195W employees to enter premises to prevent danger, in respect of gas escapes and dangerous gas appliances; the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994, which include duties on those who install and maintain gas appliances and fittings; and the Notification of Installations Handling Hazardous Substances Regulations 1982, which require gas transmission and distribution pipelines to be notified to the Health and Safety Executive.
The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 also impose duties on owners of property and householders. This includes a duty on landlords to maintain appliances which they own in a safe condition, and for such appliances to be checked for safety each year. Householders' duties include, for example, not using appliances which are known or suspected to be unsafe, not searching for gas escapes with a naked flame, and reporting leaks or suspected leaks to the public gas supplier.
The Health and Safety Commission is considering its response to the safety implications of the Government's proposals for liberalisation of the gas market and will respond shortly.