§ Mr. Richard Pageasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the first report of the Building Research Establishment's investigation of steel-framed houses will be published.
§ Mr. John PattenThe Building Research Establishment's first report, which looks at the most numerous steel-framed house type, the British Iron and Steel Federation house, is published today. The report is reassuring. It confirms that, although BISF houses are now 30–40 years old, the majority are structurally sound and that where corrosion has occurred this can be relatively simply repaired.
The main elements of the house, the way they are assembled and the points where deterioration may occur are identified in clear and simple drawings. I hope that this feature of the report will be particularly helpful to building societies and their surveyors when considering lending on properties of this type. I believe that local authorities and other owners will find the report equally helpful when approaching the repair and maintenance of these houses.
Copies of this report are being sent today to local authorities in England which own BISF houses, and my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and 202W Wales are taking similar action. Copies are also being made available to the Building Societies Association for distribution to its members. A copy has been placed in the Library.