asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to protect householders whose houses suffer damage or cease to be weatherproof as a consequence of the carrying out of local authority demolition orders on adjacent properties.

Local authorities already have powers under Section 29 of the Public Health Act 1961 to serve a notice on any owner undertaking demolition requiring him to carry out specified safeguarding work, including the weatherproofing of any surface of an adjoining building exposed by the demolition.