§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the architects for the six Ministry of Defence buildings and the 11 further buildings in the PSA estate which have been found to be defective in the reinforcements, due to the excessive or improper use of calcium chloride as a setting agent for concrete.
§ Mr. FreesonNo. Most of the buildings were constructed many years ago and there was no reason why calcium chloride should not have been specified.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the PSA has been called upon by any organisation outside the public sector to give advice on the matter of corrosion of reinforcements in concrete due to excessive or improper use of calcium chloride.
§ Mr. FreesonNo.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many staff in his Department are engaged on examination of public sector buildings in which calcium chloride was used as a setting agent.
§ Mr. FreesonThe Property Services Agency has a continuing programme of inspection of all public sector buildings404W for which it is responsible. Other public sector owners are responsible for their own buildings although some inspections have been carried out by my Department. No Departmental staff are employed exclusively on examining public sector buildings in which calcium chloride was used as a setting agent.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of buildings investigated by the PSA following reports of corrosion of the reinforcement; how many were found to be defective; and what are the dates of the first and latest investigations.
§ Mr. FreesonEvidence of corrosion is investigated as part of the Property Services Agency's normal maintenance inspections. I am not aware of any buildings other than the 17 already identified in which the defects have arisen from the use of calcium chloride.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he proposes to ensure that the estimated cost of remedial work on the six Ministry of Defence buildings, totalling £250,000, does not fall on public expenditure.
(2) if he proposes to ensure that the cost of remedial work on the 11 buildings in the PSA estate, defective in the reinforcement, does not fall on public funds.
§ Mr. FreesonThe cost of remedial work is being borne on public funds. The question of liability is being checked, but many of the buildings were erected many years ago.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will name the main contractors of each of the 11 buildings in the PSA estate found to be defective in the reinforced concrete due to improper use of calcium chloride;
(2) if he will name the main contractors of each of the six Ministry of Defence buildings found to be defective in the reinforced concrete due to improper use of calcium chloride.
§ Mr. FreesonNo. Most of the buildings were erected many years ago by a variety of constructional methods.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list 405W> the contractors carrying out remedial work on the six Ministry of Defence buildings found to be defective in the reinforced concrete.
§ Mr. FreesonIn one case the work has been carried out by a Royal Ordnance Factory. In addition the Property Services Agency has let two contracts as follows: Cementation Construction Ltd.; W. J. Sibley and Son.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if any local authorities have informed him that they have discovered defects in reinforced concrete due to the excessive or improper use of calcium chloride.
§ Mr. FreesonLocal authorities are not required to notify such cases to my Department. We are, however, aware that there are some local authority buildings with defects that may be attributable to the excessive or improper use of calcium chloride.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify the 11 further buildings in the PSA estate in which calcium chloride is considered to be the principal cause of corrosion of the reinforcement.
§ Mr. FreesonThe 11 buildings are: Ministry of Works huts at Halton, Plawsworth, Crook, Harrogate and Birtly; four at RAF Finningley; one at Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, Titchfield; one at Warren Springs Laboratory, Stevenage.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the employees working in the 11 buildings in the PSA estate, which have been found to have corrosion or improper use of calcium chloride, have been informed of the discovery.
§ Mr. FreesonThe occupants of these buildings are not at risk.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment which public corporations or Government Department use the 11 buildings in the PSA estate which have been found to have corrosion of the reinforcement; and how many employees work in each of these buildings.
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§ Mr. FreesonMinistry of Defence, National Environmental Research Council, Home Office, Post Office and WRVS. The numbers of people working in the buildings is a matter for the Departments concerned.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many members of his Department serve on the British Standards Committee dealing with the use of calcium chloride as a setting agent for reinforced concrete; and if he will name them and give their Civil Service rank and qualifications.
§ Mr. FreesonThe following members of my Department sit on the British Standards Institution's Committee BLCP 80 which is considering recommendations on the use of calcium chloride in connection with the structural use of concrete
P. R. Bartle, FI.Struct.E.—Superintending Civil Engineer.S. C. C. Bate, Phd, FICE, FI.Struct.E.—Deputy Chief Scientific Officer.H. B. Gould, FICE, FI.Struct.E. Superintending Civil Engineer.F. Walley, PhD, FICE, FI.Struct,E.—Director of Civil Engineering Development.