§ Mr. TrendTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now repeal building regulation A4, relating to the safeguarding of certain public buildings, shops and shopping malls against disproportionate collapse; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryFollowing an extensive review the Government have concluded that the considerable enhancement in structural safety of buildings constructed in recent years has rendered regulation A4 superfluous to the stability and robustness provisions of requirement A1. Such enhancement in the integrity of building structures has resulted from substantial improvements in the quality of guidance material—principally British standards—supporting requirement A1, rather than the imposition of regulation A4. To some extent the guidance material supporting the material and workmanship provisions of regulation 7 has also improved the situation.
Considerable support for the repeal of regulation A4 was registered in the consultation exercise undertaken at the end of last year. The proposal for repeal has now been endorsed by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee.
It is the Government's view that the shortcomings that prevailed in the 1970s, which led to the introduction of regulation A4, have been addressed. This significant regulatory burden on the construction industry can now be removed without compromising public safety. An amendment to the building regulations incorporating this repeal will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible.