§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what discussions he has had with gas suppliers on(a) the need for regular gas checks and (b) the efficient operations of gas appliances in the domestic setting; [163389]
(2) if he will convene a meeting at the earliest opportunity with the gas supply industry, the Health and Safety Executive and other relevant agencies to plan a national campaign to address the dangers of carbon monoxide poison from domestic gas appliances. [163392]
§ Mr. BrowneOfficials from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have already met with representatives from the gas supply industry, who are currently developing a strategy for future national gas safety awareness campaigns. The industry players have committed to produce an agreed strategy for implementation in time for autumn 2004.
This is in addition to existing measures to promote awareness of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. These measures include the annual winter gas safety awareness campaign overseen by HSE, which this year targeted particularly vulnerable groups, such as students and other first-time renters, elderly people and parents of young children.
1613WHSE's domestic gas safety website contains information on the causes and symptoms of CO, and what to do if poisoning is suspected. HSE produces free leaflets on gas safety both for general consumers and landlords, including information on CO, in 12 community languages as well as English.
It also operates a Gas Safety Advice line providing free advice to callers. Additionally, where possible, HSE officials participate from time to time in awareness-raising events run by other organisations, such as local community groups.
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce a statutory requirement for all homes to have their gas appliances checked on a regular basis. [163390]
§ Mr. BrowneResidential landlords are already required by law at all times to maintain, in a safe condition, the gas appliances in their rental properties, and to carry out a gas safety check on an annual basis. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also strongly recommends that owner-occupiers put in place a regular servicing and maintenance routine for their gas appliances. However, when the question of introducing mandatory safety checks was examined by the Health and Safety Commission in 2000[...] the Commission concluded that such an approach would be difficult to justify on both cost and practicality grounds. The recommendation of their Review was that efforts should instead be focused on further publicity and guidance in order to raise awareness of the need for all gas appliances to be regularly checked for safety and services in accordance with manufacturers' instructions. I fully support this position.
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last 10 years of landlords whose neglect of gas appliances caused the death of their tenants. [163391]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.
The number of prosecutions of landlords instituted by HSE, following a dealth: 1996–97 to 2002–03 Number of cases Number of information laid 1997–98 5 14 1998–99 3 22 1999–2000 5 6 2000–01 3 25 2001–02 1 24 2002–03 0 0 (provisional figures) Source:
Health and Safety Executive, Safety and Enforcement Statistics.Each case relates to an individual landlord against whom one or more informations may have been laid; for example, a landlord may be prosecuted for failure to maintain gas appliances at a number of different properties