Structure of the Bill
Explanatory note
The Bill commences with an explanatory note, which comprises:
- a statement of the general policy,
- a clause by clause analysis of the Bill,
- the regulatory impact and compliance cost statement of July 2001, which assesses the decision of 2001 on which the Bill is based, and
- the regulatory impact and compliance cost statement of May 2005, which assesses subsequent decisions of 2005 on which the Bill is based.
The Bill
The Bill will:
- amend the Electricity Act 1992 (Part 1)
- amend the Gas Act 1992 (Part 2)
- amend the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (Part 3)
- amend the Ministry of Energy Abolition Act 1989 (Part 4)
- replace the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act (PGDA) 1976. (Parts 5 to 8)
The amendments to the Electricity Act (EA) are primarily concerned with:
- matters of electrical health and safety and
- the regulation of electrical workers. (clause 5)
The amendments to the Gas Act (GA) are primarily concerned with:
- matters of gas related health and safety (clause 42)
The new PGDA is primarily concerned with:
- the regulation of gas workers (clause 60)
- the regulation of plumbers (clause 60)
- the regulation of drainlayers. (clause 60)
Thus the amendments to the Gas Act and the PGDA cover between them (and essentially replicate) for gas the matters addressed by the Electricity Act. The PGDA additionally covers the regulations of plumbers and drainlayers. The PGDA is to be replaced by a new Act because many of the sections require amendment. However, most of the principles in the 1976 Act remain unchanged.
The amendments to the Health and Safety in Employment Act
- mirror for general workplace health and safety the accident notification amendments in the Electricity and Gas Acts (clauses 56 and 57)
The amendments to the Ministry of Energy (Abolition) Act
- cover the application of levy monies. (clause 59)
How to Read the Bill
The Bill contains 218 clauses.
Apart from the first 4 preliminary clauses, each clause in parts 1 to 4 identifies text to be omitted from or inserted into the principal Act (i.e. the Electricity Act 1992, etc). Text to be omitted or inserted is identified in quotes.
Some clauses, e.g. clause 12, identify large blocks of text to be inserted. Clause 12 runs for 46 pages and inserts new sections 74 to 147Y into the Electricity Act. In such cases it is important to note the use of quotations to identify text that is a new section in the principal Act.
Clauses in parts 5 to 8 of the Bill contain text that will, following the passage of the Bill, be separated out to constitute a new Act in place of the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 1976 (which is to be repealed by clause 218).
The Bill needs to be read in conjunction with the Principal Acts that it amends or replaces.
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