§ Mr. Wigginasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has yet received the final report of the technical committee on steel box girder bridges; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RipponYes. The Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales were associated with the setting up of the committee and I have discussed the contents of the report and its recommendations with them.
An appendix to the report contains interim rules for the design and workmanship of steel box girder bridges and we are arranging for early publication of both documents and for implementation of the recommendations.
The committee reaffirms the conviction which it expressed in its interim report as to the safety and soundness of steel box girder bridges designed in accordance with the rules which it has formulated.
We are extremely grateful to Dr. Merrison and the members of his committee for the conscientious and effective manner in which they have discharged the task assigned to them.