§ Ann ClwydTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how many domestic gas appliances were condemned as unsafe by registered installers in the last year for which figures are available; and in how many cases this was due to the emission of carbon monoxide. [20722]
§ Angela EagleI have been asked to reply.
I am advised by the Health and Safety Executive that the information is not available in the form requested. However, under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 gas installers registered with the Council of Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) have a duty to notify to the Health and Safety Executive any gas fitting, or any flue or ventilation, used in connection with that fitting which is or has been likely to cause death, or any major injury by accidental leakage of gas; inadequate combustion of gas; or inadequate removal of the products of combustion of gas.
The latest provisional figures for 1996–97 show that the Health and Safety Executive received 5,819 such notifications. A breakdown of these is given in the Health and Safety Commission's "Health and Safety Statistics 1996–97" (page 163) a copy of which has been placed in the House library. However, the data do not show how many appliances were considered dangerous because they were emitting carbon monoxide.