A REPORT in the Bolton Evening News on September 11 1999 under the headline "Tempers flare over gas site plan" mentions British Gas Transco.

I would like to point out to your readers that British Gas is not concerned in this issue at all.

Transco, a division of BG plc, is the organisation which controls and maintains the country's gas pipeline network. They have no connection whatsoever with British Gas, which is a trading name used by Centrica plc.

Public confusion in the matter is understandable as such work was, for many years, the responsibility of British Gas and, before then, the Gas Board. The changes were made as part of a massive re-organisation of the gas supply industry to enable the introduction of competition into the market.

While British Gas remains the largest energy supply company in the country and is firmly established as the market leader, it is now one of many competing suppliers who use the pipeline network.

British Gas is also diversifying its business activities and supplies electricity, as well as providing home insurance, security products and financial services such as the highly successful Goldfish credit card.

Collette Handley

British Gas

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.