§ Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now issue regulations defining calcium chloride as a prohibited substance for use for the rapid setting of reinforced construction of buildings or bridges.
§ Mr. ArmstrongMy right hon. Friend will consult formally upon an amendment to the building regulations as soon as the British Standards Institution has published the amendments it has just decided upon to the codes of practice on the structural uses of concrete, recommending that calcium chloride should never be added to reinforced concrete. Such an amendment to the regulations would enable local authorities to prevent the use of calcium chloride in reinforced concrete construction in buildings. The use of this material in reinforced concrete in bridges is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport.