HL Deb 14 February 1994 vol 552 cc9-10

2.59 p.m.

Viscount Hanworth asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they consider that all new houses should have under-floor insulation to prevent heat loss and to prevent radioactive radon from entering the house.

Viscount St. Davids

My Lords, the building regulations make provision for the insulation of dwellings including under-floor insulation where it is necessary to reduce heat loss. Requirements to prevent radioactive radon from entering new dwellings are also included in the building regulations for those parts of the country where significant radon levels have been identified. The normal way of sealing floors against radon ingress is by the use of a membrane rather than under-floor insulation.

Viscount Hanworth

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. But does he realise that from an insulation point of view it is easy to put in double glazing and cavity wall insulation, and even easier to put insulation in the loft, but if one has not already installed it in new houses, under-floor insulation, without which a great deal of energy can be lost, is very difficult and very expensive to put in later on? Will he try to get some requirement for such insulation in new houses? Does he also appreciate that it affects our future generations?

Viscount St. Davids

My Lords, the Government are committed to strengthening the requirements of the building regulations. To that end a consultation document was published in January last year. It is proposed to lay revised building regulations in the summer with the aim of bringing them into force by the end of the year. Similar proposals have been consulted on in Scotland; Northern Ireland proposes to consult before the end of the year.

Lord Dean of Beswick

My Lords, my point relates to the first part of the noble Viscount's Question which refers to heat loss. Does the noble Viscount recall that during the run-up to privatisation, in order to get the energy industry ready for it, the Government almost totally eliminated grants for insulation and energy saving? Bearing in mind the enormous sums of money that the privatised energy industries are now making, does he agree that it would be realistic to reappraise the situation and perhaps charge them something for this?

Viscount St. Davids

My Lords, your Lordships may know that this week is in fact Energy Advice Week. Many local authorities and local organisations are working toward that end.

Lord Dean of Beswick

My Lords, will the noble Viscount take my advice about the present energy companies and tell them to have a look at this matter?

Viscount St. Davids

My Lords, I note what the noble Lord has said.

Lord Williams of Elvel

My Lords, is the noble Viscount aware that the news that this week is Energy Advice Week comes as rather a surprise to some of us? Not many of us had heard about it. Will the Government be more energetic in their energy advice? Will the noble Viscount tell us what in fact is in the building regulations, of which he read out a list a few moments ago? If he is talking about loss of heat through lack of insulation, will he perhaps go into the noble Lords' guest-room and see how much heat is escaping?

Viscount St. Davids

My Lords, I am sorry to hear that the noble Lord has not heard of Energy Advice Week. Last week I picked up a local Welsh newspaper, the Western Telegraph, which had a pull-out bifolio giving a lot of advice on the subject. The proposals improve energy performance for heating and hot water by between 25 per cent. and 30 per cent. The aim of the revised regulations is to make a significant improvement without introducing unnecessary technical risks in allowing designers some flexibility in how the requirements can be met.

Lord Tordoff

My Lords, is the noble Viscount aware that perhaps the reason that we have not heard about Energy Advice Week is that today is National Impotence Day? It may have affected the Government in some way. More seriously, can we have an assurance from the Government that when the deregulation Bill comes in, building regulations of that sort will not be swept away in a great bonfire?

Viscount St. Davids

My Lords, I hardly think that we shall introduce new regulations with the aim of putting them on a bonfire.