§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the location of the gas and water pipes on the Erskine bridge; and what assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of them. [9071]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonTwo water pipes and one gas pipe are situated on each side of the Erskine Bridge, in the open, underneath the footways. The structure was designed to accommodate these services and they have been in place since the bridge opened in 1971.
565WFollowing an incident on 4 August 1996 when an oilrig platform collided with the bridge, the pipes were inspected by the undertakers responsible and minor repairs carried out.
No specific assessment of the pipes has been made by the Health and Safety Executive although it has made a number of visits to the bridge since the incident in connection with the main structural repairs.