§ Mr. Clemitsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has made to the building societies about their current policy in regard to the granting of mortgages for properties containing high alumina cement in their construction.
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§ Mr. FreesonThis is a matter for the building societies themselves. However, my Department is in close touch with the Building Societies Association. I understand that its advice is that individual applications should be treated on their merits, and that loans may be made on completed properties, in the absence of serious deterioration.
§ Mr. Clemitsonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the safety of buildings in the construction of which high alumina cement has been used in the light of the recent publication of a report of the Building Research Establishment on the subject.
§ Mr. KaufmanThe Building Research Establishment's report will not be published until later this month, but its main findings are summarised in the Department's circular letter of 23rd April to local authorities. This confirms the Department's earlier conclusion that precast prestressed isolated roof beams represent the main potential hazard and states that the risk of structural failure in floors with spans up to about 5 metres is small.