14(1)After section 31 of that Act there shall be inserted the following section—
“Supplementary
31ARelief to suppliers in emergency conditions.
(1)Without prejudice to any other provision of this Act or the provisions of any regulations thereunder, in any proceedings against any person supplying gas through pipes for or arising out of a failure by him to comply with any duty with respect to the supply of gas imposed on him by or under any enactment (including any duty with respect to pressure of supply), it shall be a defence for that person to prove that circumstances existed by reason of which compliance with the duty would or might have involved danger to the public, and that he took all such steps as it was reasonable for him to take both to prevent the circumstances from occurring and to prevent them from having that effect.”
(2)Section 28 of that Act (which is superseded by this paragraph) shall be omitted.