§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on his proposals for charges for building regulation inspections; what difference these will 158W make to new house costs; and why he has decided to restrict the scope of these charges.
§ Mr. StanleyMy right hon. Friend will shortly be laying an order which will introduce a scheme of charges for building control on 1 April next.
The scheme will transfer the full cost of building control from ratepayers and taxpayers in general to those who use the system. However, it is proposed to exempt from fees all works with relevant costs under £1,000. The minimum total fee of £25 would be uneconomic for small works below this threshold and might deter houseowners from carrying out minor structural repairs or improvements.