§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied with the safety of glass in domestic buildings; if he will consider taking steps to provide improvement grants for safety glazing; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungThe British Standards Institution is constantly reviewing its code of practice on glass and glazing. The latest review should be ready for publication later this year. Safety glazing may, at the discretion of local authorities, be included in the works eligible for improvement grant, if proposed by the applicant when windows or doors are necessarily being replaced as part of a scheme of comprehensive improvement, but grant cannot be extended to cover this work on its own.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to amend building regulations to require safety glazing in all new doors and 268W windows to the extent recommended by the Child Accident Prevention Trust; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungI have recently received a copy of the report—Architectural Glass Accidents to Children. The British Standards Institution's code of practice 152: 1972—Glazing and Fixing of Glass for Buildings—has now been revised and should be published later this year. I shall consider carefully the accident report and the revised code of practice before deciding whether an extension of building control would be appropriate.