§ Mr. HansonTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 11 January,Official Report, column 96, (1) what response his officials have received from the National House Building Council with regard to complaints about inspections of properties at Palace close, Flint;
(2) if he will meet residents of Palace close, Flint, to discuss their concerns about the performance of the National House Building Council with regard to inspection of their properties;
(3) if he will instigate an investigation into building control inspection with regard to properties at Palace close, Flint, Clwyd;
(4) when a report was submitted to his Department from Clwyd fire service in relation to building regulation 1985 schedule 1 with regard to properties at Palace close, Flint.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesMy right hon. Friend has no powers to supervise or regulate an approved inspector in the discharge of its functions in relation to individual cases and he has not commissioned a report from the Clwyd fire service.
NHBC Building Control Services Ltd. has a statutory duty under regulation 10 of the Building (Approved Inspectors etc.) Regulations 1985 to ensure that all work inspected by them as approved inspectors conforms with the building regulations. NHBC has assured me that they have every intention of doing everything necessary to discharge that duty. The Building Act 1984 provides for reference to the courts where an approved inspector has acted improperly. In cases of dispute, home owners have recourse to conciliation and independent arbitration procedures under NHBC warranty arrangements, but this is entirely a matter for the NHBC.
In all these circumstances a meeting would not be appropriate.