1. This Order may be cited as the Gas Act 1995 (Consequential Modifications of Subordinate Legislation) (No. 2) Order 1996 and shall come into force on 1st March 1996.

2. The Gas Safety Regulations 1972(2) are hereby modified as follows:

(a)in regulation 2(1) -

(i)in the definition of "meter control", for the words "the supply of gas from the Area Board to the consumer" there shall be substituted the words "the conveyance of gas to the consumer's premises";

(ii)in the definition of "primary meter", for the words after "the index reading of which" there shall be substituted the words "indicates the quantity of gas conveyed to the premises by a public gas transporter;";

(iii)after that definition, there shall be inserted the following definition -

• ""public gas transporter" has the same meaning as in Part I of the Gas Act 1986;"; and

(iv)in the definition of "service pipe", for the words "the Area Board" there shall be substituted the words "a public gas transporter";

(b)in regulation 2(2) -

(i)for the words "gas supplied by an Area Board to a consumer" there shall be substituted the words "gas conveyed to the premises of a consumer by a public gas transporter"; and

(ii)for the words "so supplied" there shall be substituted the words "so conveyed";

(c)in regulation 3(1) -

(i)after the words "No person" there shall be inserted the words "other than the owner or occupier of the premises or any person engaged by him for the purpose"; and

(ii)for the words "an Area Board", in each place where they appear, there shall be substituted the words "a public gas transporter";

(d)in regulation 52 -

(i)for the words "An Area Board supplying gas" there shall be substituted the words "A public gas transporter conveying gas"; and

(ii)for the words "at their own expense" there shall be substituted the words "at his own expense".

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order makes modifications to the Gas Safety Regulations 1972 in consequence of the enactment of the Gas Act 1995. The Act provides for various functions, carried out at one time by Area Gas Boards and latterly by British Gas plc as a public gas supplier, to be carried out by public gas transporters. Article 2 of the Order amends various references in the 1972 Regulations to Area Boards and the supply of gas so as to refer to public gas transporters and the conveyance of gas.

The 1995 Act also provides, by amendments to section 10 of the Gas Act 1986, for the owner or occupier of premises to be able to lay a service pipe connecting his premises to a gas main. In consequence, article 2 of the Order amends regulation 3(1) of the 1972 Regulations so as to exclude owners, occupiers and their contractors from the restriction imposed by that provision as to the persons who may install service pipes and related apparatus.