§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many disputed gas meters are currently awaiting examination by his Department's gas standards branch; and how this compares with the situation in 1981 and 1982.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithOn 28 October 1983 the number of disputed meters awaiting test by my Department was 5,607, compared with 1,479 at end October 1982 and 957 at end October 1981. I am concerned about this backlog, and the gas and oil measurement branch is making strenuous efforts to reduce it. The rate of examination of disputed meters has already been increased to a level 70 per cent. above that of a year earlier.
§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of disputed gas meters tested by his Department's gas standards branch in each of the past three years have been found to be over-registering.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe proportion of disputed meters found to be over-registering by more than the permitted tolerance of 2 per cent. in each of the years ending 30 September 1981 to 1983 was as follows:
per cent. 1981 49.0 1982 50.9 1983 52.4
§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of undisputed gas meters submitted for testing by his Department's gas standards branch within the past 12 months have been found to be accurate within the accepted tolerances.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith97.5 per cent. of the undisputed meters tested by my Department in the last 12 months were found to be accurate within the permitted tolerances.
§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for Energy why the routine mechanical examination of direct reading 615W indices on disputed gas meters has been superseded by the Controller of Gas Standards; and if he will direct that such examinations should now be resumed.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe mechanical test is no longer included among those normally carried out on disputed gas meters because it was time-consuming, had a very low fault detection rate and could result in accurate meters becoming faulty.