§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Technology how many fatal and serious accidents there have been in relation to the installation of natural gas supplies to the latest convenient date; what action has been taken by his department; and whether he will take steps to ensure the safety of supply to communities, like that of Portsmouth, still to receive such supplies.
Mr. Alan Williams:My hon. Friend will know that my right hon. Friend the Paymaster-General has asked Professor Morton of Manchester University to undertake an inquiry into the safety 430W of natural gas as a fuel. Professor Morton hopes to make his report in June.
As regards statistical information, from the reports my hon. Friend received up to the end of 1969, fatalities or serious accidents due to natural gas were certainly no worse than those attributable to town gas.