HC Deb 10 February 1970 vol 795 cc1055-6
4. Mr. Peter Archer

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will take steps to encourage the adoption of common trench layouts for the installation of utility services to building sites in order to avoid repeated inconvenience to the public.

Mr. Loughlin

A major publicity campaign is in progress following the publication in 1969 of my Ministry's two Bulletins on Co-ordination of Underground Services on Building Sites.

Mr. Archer

While thanking my hon. Friend for that reply, and appreciating that to a great extent this is in the hands of the local authorities, might I ask him if he will emphasise to them that this is an area in which a little planning and forethought can spare the public a great deal of danger and frustration?

Mr. Loughlin

I certainly take my hon. Friend's point. I go a bit further and say that if we could get local authorities and others thinking in terms of the co-ordination of underground services we should save a lot of money. We are examining inter-departmentally the drafting of a letter to local authorities to try to stimulate some interest in this worthwhile project.

Mr. W. Baxter

Is my hon. Friend aware that this is not just the responsibility of the local authorities, and that some of the greatest problems arise through the activities of electricity boards, gas undertakings, telephone exchanges and water undertakings? Is he aware that local authorities often try to get the co-operation of these bodies? Is he further aware that a letter to local authorities will not be sufficient but that some real action is required from the Minister?

Mr. Loughlin

I have opened a number of conferences to which representatives of not only local authorities and the building industry but the allied services to which the hon. Member refers have been invited. I appreciate that very often local authorities have some difficulty with organisations supplying services. On the other hand, local authorities can sometimes be the focal point upon which the whole operation can be co-ordinated.