§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to review the regulations covering safety standards for domestic gas appliances. [65331]
§ Mr. BattleThe safety of new domestic gas appliances is controlled by the Gas Appliances (Safety) Regulations 1995, ("the Regulations") which implement into UK law the European Council's Gas Appliances Directive.
The Regulations contain "essential requirements" which manufacturers of gas appliances are required to meet. To ensure that gas appliances comply with these safety provisions, manufacturers are required to submit their product to a third-party Notified Body for type approval before it may be placed on the market. Manufacturers must also appoint a Notified Body to undertake periodic surveillance of the production process in order to ensure that the product continues to conform to the type that was originally approved.