The Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Miscellaneous

Standards of quality

64.—(1) The Department may prescribe—

(a) standards of pressure, purity, odour and calorific value to be complied with by authorised persons in conveying gas to premises;

(b) other standards with respect to the properties, condition and composition of gas so conveyed.

(2) The Department may prescribe—

(a) standards of pressure, purity, odour and calorific value to be complied with by persons (“relevant suppliers”) in supplying to premises gas which is conveyed through pipes to the premises otherwise than by an authorised person; and

(b) other standards with respect to the properties, condition and composition of gas so supplied.

(3) The Department may appoint competent and impartial persons to carry out tests of—

(a) gas which is conveyed by authorised persons; and

(b) gas which is supplied by a relevant supplier to premises and is conveyed through pipes to the premises otherwise than by an authorised person,

for the purpose of ascertaining whether it conforms with the standards prescribed under this Article.

(4) Regulations may make provision—

(a) for requiring such tests to be carried out at such places as the Department may direct;

(b) for requiring such premises, apparatus and equipment as the Department may direct to be provided and maintained by authorised persons and by relevant suppliers for the purpose of carrying out such tests;

(c) for persons representing the authorised person or relevant supplier concerned to be present during the carrying out of such tests;

(d) for the manner in which the results of such tests are to be made available to the public; and

(e) for conferring powers of entry on property of authorised persons and relevant suppliers for the purpose of deciding where tests are to be carried out and otherwise for the purposes of this Article.

(5) Every person who is an authorised person or a relevant supplier during any period shall pay to the Department such proportion as the Department may determine of—

(a) any sums paid by it on account of the remuneration, allowances and pensions of persons appointed under paragraph (3) in respect of that period; and

(b) such part of its other expenses for that period as it may with the consent of the Department of Finance and Personnel determine to be attributable to its functions in connection with the testing of gas for the purposes of this Article;

and any liability under this paragraph to pay to the Department sums on account of pensions shall, if the Department so determines, be satisfied by way of contributions calculated, at such rate as may be determined by the Department of Finance and Personnel, by reference to remuneration.

(6) Regulations under this Article may impose a duty on an authorised person, in the case of any alteration in the calorific value in respect of any gas conveyed by him to any premises, to take at his own expense such steps as may be necessary to alter, adjust or replace the burners in the appliances in those premises, in such manner as to secure that the gas can be burned with safety.

(7) In this Article—

“authorised person” means the holder of a licence under Article 8(1)(a) acting under the authority of that licence or a person authorised to convey gas in pursuance of an exemption under Article 7 acting under the authority of that exemption;

“calorific value”, in relation to any gas, means the number of megajoules (gross) which would be produced by the combustion of one cubic metre of the gas measured at a temperature of 15°C and a pressure of 1013.25 millibars, and if the Department so determines, containing such an amount of water vapour as is specified in the determination.

Powers of entry

65.  Schedule 5 shall have effect.