§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received the letter from the chief fire officer of the Merseyside county council concerning the proposed design of the rebuilt Liverpool St. John's shopping precinct; what reply he has sent; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrittanThe chief officer of the Merseyside fire brigade wrote to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services on 28 December about the fire at St. John's precinct, Liverpool on 17 December 1979. That letter did not deal with the proposed design of the rebuilding of the precinct; but, in the case of requirements relating to public health and safety in the design and construction of new buildings, including public shopping precincts, any variation in the procedure currently required to be followed in the enforcement of building regulations is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.