§ Mr. Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce measures to enable individual local authorities to set their own level of fees for building regulations. [50881]
§ Mr. RaynsfordDraft regulations—"The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 1998"—were issued for consultation on 5 June. They are designed to devolve the charge setting process for building control functions to individual local authorities.
Responses to the consultation have been requested by 17 July. After I have considered these, I will decide whether it is appropriate to proceed to lay the regulations.