§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what improvements he has in mind for building regulations in relation to the energy efficiency of building.
670W
§ Mr. BaldryLast January the Government issued for consultation proposals for strengthening part L of the building regulations relating to energy conservation. These included:
- increasing the standards for fabric insulation;
- improving building air-tightness whilst ensuring adequate ventilation;
- improving the control and insulation of heating and hot water systems;
- the provision of energy ratings for new dwellings using the Government's standard assessment procedure;
- new requirements for non-domestic buildings aiming to ensure the provision of efficient lighting with effective means of control, and the provision of air conditioning systems only where they are reasonably necessary—and, where they are necessary, provision for their effective control.
As a result of the responses to this consultation the proposals for air conditioning have been revised and a further consultation exercise ended on 14 January. We are continuing to consider the responses to the other proposals for part L and those to the inter-related proposals for improving part F—ventilation—which were also issued for consultation last year. The intention is to lay revisions to both parts of the regulations before Parliament in the first half of this year and to bring them into force by the end of the year.