§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many gas explosions have been reported by gas boards to his Department's gas safety branch in each financial year since 1978–79; in how many cases in each year prosecutions were mounted by the police; how many such prosecutions succeeded; in how many cases prosecutions were initiated by his Department; and how many of these were successful.
§ Mr. John Moore[pursuant to his reply, 10 May, c. 169]: The number of gas explosions reported—in most cases by the British Gas Corporation—to my Department's gas standards branch was as follows: 145W
Number 1978 93 1979 81 1980 110 1981 107 The number of prosecutions was as follows:
Prosecutions initiated by Police Number 1978 — 1979 1 1980 1 1981 1
Prosecutions initiated by my Department Number 1978 1 1979 — 1980 1 1981 1 All of the above prosecutions were successful. In addition 16 warning letters were issued over the 4 years in question and 11 cases are still under investigation. Of the remainder, there was either no prima facie contravention of the gas safety regulations or no case on which to mount a prosecution. The figures are related to calendar years in accordance with the Department's statistical records.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list for each financial year since 1978–79 the mean average time taken by his Department from the receipt of gas board reports into explosions before deciding whether or not to prosecute and the longest and shortest times taken by his Department in each year.
§ Mr. John Moore[pursuant to his reply, 10 May 1982, c. 169]: In the majority of gas explosions there is either no contravention of the Gas Safety Regulations 1972 or no case on which to mount a prosecution: the cost of obtaining precise information on the time taken to reach a decision in these cases would be disproportionate, but in most cases the decision is quickly reached.
In those cases where my Department mounted a prosecution or issued a warning letter the time taken to complete their investigations and to decide whether or not to prosecute was as follows:
Tine in months 1978 1979 1980 1981 Average 6* 3½ 3 2 Shortest — 2 2 0¼ Longest — 5 4 6 * 1 case. The figures are related to calendar years in accordance with the Department's statistical records.