(1)After section 29A of the 1972 Act there shall be inserted the following section—
(1)The Secretary of State shall after consultation with the Corporation prescribe standards of pressure, purity and uniformity of calorific value to be complied with by the Corporation in supplying gas through pipes, and may after such consultation prescribe other standards with respect to the properties, condition and composition of gas so supplied.
(2)The Secretary of State shall after consultation with such persons and organisations as he considers appropriate prescribe standards of pressure and purity to be complied with by persons other than the Corporation in supplying gas through pipes, and may after such consultation prescribe standards of uniformity of calorific value and other standards with respect to the properties, condition and composition of gas so supplied.
(3)The Secretary of State shall appoint competent and impartial persons to carry out tests of gas supplied through pipes for the purpose of ascertaining whether it conforms with the standards prescribed under this section and (in the case of gas supplied by the Corporation) whether it is of the declared calorific value.
(4)Regulations may provide—
(a)for determining the places at which such tests are to be carried out,
(b)for requiring premises, apparatus and equipment to be provided and maintained by persons supplying gas through pipes (in this section referred to as suppliers) for the purpose of carrying out such tests,
(c)for persons representing the 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,
(e)for conferring powers of entry on property of suppliers for the purpose of deciding where tests are to be carried out and otherwise for the purposes of this section, and
(f)for any other matters supplementary or incidental to the matters aforesaid for which provision appears to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient.
(5)There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament to the persons appointed under subsection (3) above such remuneration and such allowances as may be determined by the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury, and such pensions as may be so determined may be paid out of money provided by Parliament to or in respect of those persons.
(6)Every person who is a supplier during any period shall pay to the Secretary of State such proportion as the Secretary of State may determine of—
(a)any sums paid by him under subsection (5) above in respect of that period ; and
(b)such part of his other expenses for that period as he may with the consent of the Treasury determine to be attributable to his functions in connection with the testing of gas for the purposes of this section ;
and any liability under this subsection to pay to the Secretary of State sums on account of pensions (whether paid by him under subsection (5) above or otherwise) shall, if the Secretary of State so determines, be satisfied by way of contributions calculated, at such rate as may be determined by the Treasury, by reference to remuneration.
(7)The reference in subsection (6) above to expenses of the Secretary of State includes a reference to expenses incurred by any government department in connection with the Department of Energy, and to such sums as the Treasury may determine in respect of the use for the purposes of that Department of any premises belonging to the Crown.”
(2)Section 26 of the 1972 Act (which is superseded by this section) shall cease to have effect.