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Petroleum Coke

Volume 195: debated on Tuesday 23 July 1991

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To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on domestic appliance meltdown due to the high temperatures generated by imported petroleum coke.

[holding answer 22 July 1991]: My Department has found some evidence of damage to the metal parts of fires when petroleum coke has been used in closed appliances and in unblended form. However, there is little evidence of problems experienced by consumers when the fuel is used in open-grate fires and has been pre-blended before use with another solid fuel to provide additional ash to help protect the fire parts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from the Solid Smokeless Fuels Federation regarding dangers in the use of imported petroleum coke as a domestic fuel.

[holding answer 22 July 1991]: My Department has received several letters from the Solid Smokeless Fuels Federation alleging that petroleum coke is unsafe for domestic use and its supply for this purpose should be prohibited.Petroleum coke is covered by section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 which makes it an offence to supply goods which are not reasonably safe having regard to all the circumstances. My Department's investigations has not found sufficient evidence to establish that this fuel is inherently unsafe and I believe that a ban on its use could not be justified.