§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will order an inquiry and report into the current structural safety of tower blocks built by the Bison wall frame system at Castle Vale, Birmingham, and elsewhere.
§ Mr. GowOwners are responsible for maintaining the structural safety of their buildings. We have no evidence, at present, to suggest that an inquiry into the tower blocks at Castle Vale and elsewhere would serve a useful purpose; but I am keeping this under review.
§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what responsibility he has, under which legislation, for ensuring the structural safety of new or improved house building systems before issuing guidance or advice to local authorities;
(2) whether he will list in the Official Report the legislation which gives him responsibility and authority to enforce action to ensure the internal and external safety, at the time of construction and subsequently, of existing housing built at public expense; and whether he will give instances in each of the last five years when such enforcement action was (a) considered and (b) taken.
§ Mr. GowThe Secretary of State has a statutory power under section 4 of the Public Health Act 1961 and sections 61 and 62 of the Public Health Act 1936, as amended by section 61 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974,440W to make building regulations for England and Wales to secure the health and safety of people in or about buildings. Regulations have been in force since 1965 to require that all new buildings shall be structurally safe. The enforcement of these regulations is the responsibility of district councils. In inner London, a separate system of building control is operated by the Greater London council. The Secretary of State is not supplied with information about enforcement action taken by local authorities except in cases of disagreement between the applicant—normally the developer or builder—and the local authority.
§ Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list in the Official Report all of the reports, guidance or advice published by his Department on the Bison wall frame construction system since 1960; and whether any such reports, guidance or advice were compiled or issued on a confidential basis.
§ Mr. GowNo reports, guidance or advice specific to the Bison wall frame construction system have been published by my Department or its predecessor, though several publications on various aspects of large panel concrete construction have been issued since 1960.