§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister of Public Building and Works in what respects he dissents from the statements contained in the report of the Ronan Point tribunal relating to matters covered by his Department.
§ Mr. MellishThere are certain matters on which I wish to qualify my general acceptance of the Tribunal's findings. The Report suggests that the Building Research Station failed to translate and make available to those concerned a warning by the Committe European du Beton of the dangers of progressive collapse of large panel structures. In fact, a senior member of the staff of the Station served on this Committee, and copies of its Report, which was issued to members in July, 1967, were circulated a few weeks later to the British Standards Institution Committee engaged in revising the relevant Code of Practice. Members of the Committee, having shared the task of translating the Report into English, made use of it in their work without delay. The Building Regulations lean heavily on British Standards Codes of Practice, and it was right that the Building Research Station should refer the Report directly to the Committee which was engaged in revising the relevant Code of Practice so that they could consider its relevance to British conditions.
The Report also suggests that the Building Research Station took no steps to follow up the structural problems of system building. The Station has carried out experiments on joints in pre 404W cast concrete structures, with particular emphasis (following the 1966 Symposium mentioned in the Report) on large-panel structures, and has given advice to designers of such structures as well as participating in the work of national and international bodies in this field.
Finally, I share the reservation expressed by my right hon. Friend to the effect that in formulating their views on wind loadings, the Tribunal were not able to take full account of the work of the Building Research Station and the National Physical Laboratory. The results of this work have now been published, and the information derived from these studies may show that the risk of collapse from high wind loading is small compared with that from explosion.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Minister of Public Building and Works what advice he is issuing to the building industry as a result of the report of the Ronan Point tribunal.
§ Mr. MellishThe Building Research Station has prepared two digests giving practical rules for estimating wind pressures on buildings. The first was published on 1st November. The second will be published on 1st January, but in order that there shall be no delay in making this information available to designers, the Building Research Station has prepared and issued a combined document containing the technical data included in both Digests.
The information in these Digests is vital to the revision of the Code of Practice on loading recommended in the Report.
Experts of my Ministry and the Building Research Station have also taken part in the preparation of the technical advice on the structural appraisal of existing buildings and the revision of structural details for those now at the design stage which is included in the Ministry of Housing and Local Government's circular of 15th November to local authorities.
My Ministry and the Building Research Station are continuing to give expert advice and support to the British Standards Institution in its examination and revision of the relevant Codes of Practice.