Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of the safety of steel service pipes in gas distribution networks.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not assess the safety of steel service pipes in gas distribution networks. This is the duty of the Gas Distribution Network Operator.

HSE assesses the content of safety cases submitted by gas network operators. Steel service pipelines are acceptable and safety cases will address the Operators management arrangements for these. HSE must accept the safety case prior to operation and Operators then have a duty to conform with their safety case.