§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the consequences of Her Majesty's Government's policy of disaggregating the operations of British Gas on the current routine inspection, servicing and supply of spare parts for domestic gas appliances and any implications for the safety of their operations.
§ Mr. Charles Wardle[holding answer 16 January 1995]: We expect British Gas to continue to provide an emergency service to respond to suspected gas leaks. This will include the free half hour's work to fix the leak, and deal with any related minor repairs to appliances.
The Government are determined that safety standards will be maintained in the proposed extension of competition to the domestic gas market. The Health and Safety Commission has been asked to report on this issue.