Historic Steam Vehicles: European Directive (Hansard, 7 July 1999)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)

The Pressure Equipment Directive (97/23/EC) will apply to pressure equipment and assemblies when they are placed on the market or put into service in the EU for the first time. Its purpose is to remove barriers to trade in pressure equipment. As these barriers affect UK manufacturers more than those in other member states, it has in general been welcomed and considered long overdue. When negotiating the directive our aims were to maintain the existing high standards of health and safety and to reflect current industrial practice whilst imposing the least possible costs on all affected businesses. We believe we have been successful. The UK has a responsibility to implement the directive faithfully and fully, and all types of pressure equipment that fall within it, including those in the steam heritage movement, must meet the essential safety requirements.

It is important to be clear, however, that no existing steam locomotives and traction engines already in service in the UK or other member states before 30 May 2002 will be affected by the directive. Similarly, the UK's implementing pressure equipment regulations will not prevent new steam traction engines and locomotives from being made as accurate replicas, using historic designs and standards, provided the design and manufacture meet the essential safety requirements in the regulations.

We do not therefore believe that the historic steam preservation movement will face disproportionate costs. Indeed, hardly any of the day-to-day activities of this movement, which provides such a valued contribution to 105WA maintaining our engineering heritage, will be affected by the proposed regulations. In recognition of the concerns expressed by this sector, we shall be giving instructions to notified bodies, which will be appointed to have responsibility for conformity assessment procedures under the regulations, to take into account wherever possible the need to use historically compatible methods of design and construction for historic steam vehicles. Additionally, the regulations have been drafted to make it clear that they will not apply where someone is importing for own use otherwise than in the course of business. It is likely that this will exempt the majority of traction engines, as we understand that these are largely owned and run for personal leisure use only.