§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the amounts of liquefied petroleum gas in storage at the British Gas methane plant on Canvey Island, reported to the Health and Safety Executive on 20 September 1978, 20 December 1978 and 20 January; when this will be reduced to 3,000 tons; and by what date it will be removed altogether.
§ Mr. John GrantI am informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that on 20 September 1978 the amount of liquefied petroleum gas in 279W storage was approximately 12,600 tons; on 20 December 1978 it was approximately 12,500 tons and on 20 January 1979 it was approximately 12,400 tons. He understands from the British Gas Corporation that the amount of liquefied petroleum gas in storage should be reduced to about 3,000 tons by mid April of this year. The British Gas Corporation has not indicated any intention to remove the LPG storage altogether.
§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state how many scientists with qualifications in liquefied gas technology and practical experience are employed by the Health and Safety Executive; and how many of these were directly concerned with the recent investigation into the safety of Canvey Island.
§ Mr. John GrantThe Health and Safety Executive employs groups of scientists who are currently researching into the behaviour of liquefied gas following leakages, into the nature of explosions of liquefied gas and into methods of detection of escapes of liquefied gas. The scientists concerned are drawn from all the relevant disciplines. As far as the investigation into Canvey Island was concerned, this was carried out primarily by scientists and engineers of the Safety and Reliability Directorate of the AEA, several of whom have qualifications and experience directly relevant to the study of liquefied gas installations and have been working in this field for several years.
§ Sir Bernard Braineasked the Secretary of State for Employment what research is currently being undertaken in the United Kingdom, showing separately any research being undertaken by the British Gas Corporation, into the behaviour or likely consequences of methane gas cloud explosion at sea and on land; what exchanges of information on the subject are taking place with research organisations in the United States of America; and when it is hoped that conclusions relevant to safety on Canvey Island may be received.
§ Mr. John GrantI understand from the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that this information is not readily available and it will have to be obtained from several sources. He280W assures me that he will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.