§ 4. Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister of Public Building and Works when he plans to take over responsibility for the drafting, revising and administration of the Building Regulations.
§ Mr. MellishThese Regulations are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government. No steps are being taken to change the existing arrangements.
§ Mrs. ShortWould not my right hon. Friend agree that his Department is professionally better equipped to deal with matters arising out of the Building Regulations than is his right hon. Friend's Department, in which there are no senior engineering staff?
§ Mr. MellishMy hon. Friend knows that I am not a modest type. I agree with her that my Department is probably the best Government Department of all. Having said that, I must inform her that I am in some difficulty in that she is really asking the wrong Minister the right sort of question.
Mr. Gresham CookeDoes the right Gentleman agree that responsible people in the construction industry believe that it is time that the Building Regulations were again brought up to date to take account of modern knowledge? As his Ministry is the best one to deal with this matter, will he approach the Minister of Housing and Local Government on the issue?
§ Mr. MellishI thank the hon. Gentleman for that comment. At the end of the day, Ministerial responsibility can be decided only by the Prime Minister. If the construction industry feels as enthusiastically about this as the hon. Gentleman indicates, it might care to write to the Prime Minister on the subject.