asked the Sectary of State for Employment whether his Department and the Health and Safety Executive were consulted by the Port of London Authority or the British Gas Corporation about the recent testing of the world's largest liquid natural gas tankers such as the "Paul Kayser" and the "Hille" at Canvey Island and the advis- ability of testing such vessels there in the future.

Neither my Department nor the Health and Safety Executive were consulted about the operations, but when the matter came to the attention of the Executive on 14th January 1976 in a newspaper advertisement the District Inspector of Factories concerned approached the British Gas Corporation. He has asked to be warned of such operations in future. The Comporation has agreed to do so.