§ Mr. John Fraserasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what activities are planned by his Department to celebrate the year of building inaugurated by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
§ Sir George YoungThe Department's contribution to the festival of architecture, inaugurated by the Royal Institute of British Architects, is a campaign to improve the environmental quality of new residential development to be launched in the autumn. Seminars based on a film setting out the advantages of well designed and landscaped estates with safer and more economical road and footpath layouts are being arranged in regional centres.
The Property Services Agency is extending the floodlighting of buildings of architectural interest; opening buildings to the public; displaying original architectural drawings in the buildings to which they relate; and staging exhibitions of its own work.
In addition, architects within both the Department and agency are being encouraged to play a full part in initiatives organised by RIBA's local branches.
The Chartered Institute of Building also has its 150th anniversary celebrations this year. Its project on "Building Tomorrow's Heritage" is intended to make the public more aware of the construction industry. My Department strongly supports this initiative. The Minister for Housing and Construction is one of the project's patrons and the Property Services Agency in helping to identify and provide building sites to be opened to the public.