§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what punitive action was provided for prior to March 2002 by (a) statute and (b) regulation against Transco for failure to fulfil its statutory obligations to reassess its engineers' qualification to the Approved Competency Standard, and to provide an emergency service to domestic premises. [91403]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownIn March 1997, Transco was registered with Corgi and all its emergency service operatives were deemed to hold valid certification under the Health and Safety Commission's Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) scheme, the sole means of demonstrating safety competence then in force. As this certification was valid for five years, no action could have been taken against Transco up to March 2002.
943WIf Transco were to breach legal requirements in this area, there is a range of enforcement action available to HSE under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1994, ranging from the provision of advice to the serving of an enforcement notice and, ultimately,prosecution.
§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Approved Competency Standard ceased to be the qualification required by Transco for its engineers engaged in safety work in domestic premises. [91406]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownSince 1998, competency standards have been incorporated in the Nationally Accredited Certification Scheme for Individual Gas Fitting Operatives (ACS). However, a new National Vocational Qualification, developed by the Gas and Water Industries National Training Organisation (GWINTO), was launched in 2002, and includes competence assessments that, with regard to gas safety matters, are aligned with those of the ACS.
Transco has a duty to meet the requirements of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 with regard to gas work downstream of the emergency control valve immediately before the meter. It has to ensure that its operatives who undertake this work are competent to do it safely. The accepted means for determining competence is for operatives to be assessed against recognised national standards on a five-yearly cycle. Standards were originally set under a Health and Safety Commission Approved Code of Practice (ACOP). All Transco engineers engaged in safety work in domestic premises hold valid certificates of competence under one or other of these schemes, and accordingly, meet the registration conditions laid down by the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI).
Claimant unemployment (not seasonally adjusted) December 1997 December 2002 Percentage fall Romford 1,093 835 24 London borough of Havering 3295 2,350 29 Greater London 234000 166000 29 Source:
ONS
944W
§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of work under the safety case is performed by non-Transco employees; and who bears statutory responsibility for the quality of that work. [91407]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownThe percentage of work performed by non-Transco employees may vary and is not prescribed in Transco's safety case. However, the safety case contains details of Transco's health and safety management system, which includes arrangements for the management of contractors.
Both Transco and their contractors have a statutory responsibility for ensuring work carried out is such that it will not, so far as is reasonably practicable, expose either its own employees or others to risks to their health and safety.