§ Sir G. Nabarroasked the Prime Minister (1) in view of the fact that the Ministry of Public Building and Works has more qualified engineers on its staff than the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, whether he will transfer the responsibility for building regulations to the former;
(2) if he is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Ministry of Public Building and Works and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in their respective responsibilities for structural and civil engineering; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer the hon. Member to the statement which I made on 17th May, 1966, when, after a very full review of all the relevant considerations I announced the transfer of responsibility for building regulations from the Ministry of Public Building and Works to the Minister of Housing and Local Government and (as regards Wales), to the Secretary of State for Wales.
I am satisfied that there is close collaboration between the Ministry of Public Building and Works and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government on these matters and that the Minister of Housing and Local Government has at his disposal the advice he needs to discharge his functions. Departmental responsibility in this field cannot be a simple function of the number of engineers employed.—[Vol. 728, c. 1127–31.]