§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether there are any platforms on North sea installations on which full emergency shutdown valves have still to be fitted on risers as near to sea level as practicable.
§ Mr. WakehamMy Department has identified 181 pipeline risers which require the fitting or relocation of emergency shutdown valves to comply with the Offshore Installations (Emergency Pipeline Valve) Regulations 1989. A total of 72 valves remain to be fitted or relocated.
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what was the ratio of injuries, excluding fatal injuries, suffered by operators' staff to those suffered by contractors' staff on North sea installations in each year since 1978;
(2) what was the ratio of fatal accidents suffered by operators' staff to those suffered by contractors' staff on North sea installations in each year since 1978.
§ Mr. WakehamThe information requested by the hon. Member can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy on how many risers on platforms in the North sea it is intended to retrofit subsea isolation valves; and how many of these have been fitted to date.
§ Mr. WakehamA total of 35 subsea isolation systems have been fitted retrospectively to existing pipelines and plans have been made for a further six systems to be so installed.
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§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the platforms in the North sea which have control systems of the same age as that on Piper Alpha.
§ Mr. WakehamControl systems on offshore installations may be modified as technology develops. Such modifications are a matter for the operators and the certifying authorities.