§ Dr. Michael Clarkasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the current standards defined by building regulations for thermal insulation in (a) new buildings and (b) other buildings; and whether he proposes to upgrade these.
§ Sir George YoungThe current standards defined by the building regulations for the resistence to the passage of heat through the roof, external walls and external floor of new buildings and extensions to existing buildings are:
Type of building Minimum U value required W/m2 ºC External walls and floors Roofs Dwellings 0.6 0.35 Residential other than dwellings, shops, offices assembly, recreational 0.6 0.6 Industrial; Storage 0.7 0.7 Hot water pipes and tanks are also required to be insulated.My right Friend has no proposals at present to upgrade these Standards. All the technical requirements of the building regulations including those for the conservation of fuel and power will be reviewed once the new system of building control has been introduced later this year.