§ Mr. HeyesTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who owns the medium pressure ductile iron gas mains within 30 metres of buildings reported to HSE in response to its October 2002 warning to gas transporters other than Transco; where these are located; what programme of remedial measures the HSE has agreed with the owners; and what deadline has been set by HSE for completion of this programme. [120477]
§ Mr. BrowneTransco notified HSE of 35 sites which might contain medium pressure ductile iron (MPDI) gas pipework. The sites were in public or private ownership and in many parts of the country. HSE inspectors wrote individually to each site requiring a response within an eight week deadline. A third of the sites reported that they had no MPDI pipework or had already removed it. No common timescale for action was set at the remaining sites but a remedial programme is being agreed for individual sites, based on the information in the returned proformas and risk assessment. Additionally a further 12 sites where MPDI pipework was suspected have Peen made known to HSE and the same approach for action is being applied.
Getting clearance for the release under the Open Government Code of the list of organisations and sites that HSE is following up is a complex matter and cannot be accomplished within the timescale required. However, I will write to my hon. Friend with a summary of the results of HSE's work, when this is complete and place a copy of my letter in the Library.