asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will issue a firm ruling of the conditions under which urea formaldehyde cavity fill can be installed; and if he will indicate to local authorities how they can set up machinery for fast approval of insulation projects using this material.

Responsibility for relaxing the relevant building regulation rests with the local building control authority. My Department has issued guidance on the conditions in which relaxations may be given. If this guidance is followed I see no reason why reasonably prompt approval should not be given, in the great majority of cases, to cavity insulation using this or one of the other available materials.