Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to amend Schedule 3 of the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations 1996 to prepare for increased use of hydrogen gas being conveyed in the network.

The Gas Safety (Management) Regulations (GSMR) were introduced as a statutory instrument to ensure the safe management of the flow of gas through the gas network in Great Britain. They are managed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

It is the responsibility of the Gas Network Operators (GNOs) to make the case to the HSE that any proposed changes to the GSMR are safe. The Department would work with the HSE to assess evidence, and if appropriate, introduce any necessary legislative change.

Ofgem have awarded funding, of £15.7m in total, to two GNO led projects which are gathering evidence on increasing the use of hydrogen in the network - Hydeploy and H21. The Department is following these projects with interest.

The Department is currently undertaking work to better understand the potential for hydrogen to play a role in a deeply decarbonised future energy system, including its potential to be conveyed in the legacy gas network.