asked Her Majesty's Government:
Following the recommendation of the 2005 report of the House of Commons Select Committee on Environmental Audit, whether any additional funding has been made available to local authorities for carrying out their duties in relation to part L of the building regulations; and [HL1163]
Following the recommendation of the 2005 report of the House of Commons Select Committee on Environmental Audit, whether local authorities have been set targets for the levels of post-completion checks covering part L of the building regulations carried out by inspectors; and[HL1164]
Following the recommendation of the 2005 report of the House of Commons Select Committee on Environmental Audit, what reviews have been carried out of the problem of non-compliance with part L of the building regulations in newly built dwellings. [HL1165]
Regulation 5 of the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 1998 requires local authorities to set their own charging schemes such that they are able fully to recover the cost of carrying out their prescribed building control functions. No additional funding has therefore been made available to local authorities in connection with enforcement of part L of the building regulations.
Post-completion checks on the whole of part L are not required in law although the Government did introduce mandatory pressure testing of new homes in 2006. This is an important part of local authorities' role and they are expected to ensure that such a test is undertaken before a completion certificate is issued. Building control is, however, a devolved service and no central targets are currently set for local authority building control departments on this or any other element of compliance.
Part L was last revised in April 2006 and was accompanied by a major dissemination and training exercise with the aim of improving compliance. As new houses are only now being built and completed to the revised standards, a post-implementation review of levels of compliance before now would have been premature. An independent assessment of compliance with part L (2006) is, however, due to begin shortly, and will form part of our preparations for the further revision of part L planned for 2010.
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Andrews on 7 January (WA 165–6), how they will be able to measure the future contribution of new housing stock to carbon emissions without a central register detailing the percentage of new dwellings that are compliant with part L of the building regulations. [HL1220]
The department is made aware of the numbers of completed new dwellings on a routine basis. The average impact of preceding amendments to part L requirements on energy performance of new dwellings is routinely assessed as part of the programme of work which is undertaken to support future changes to part L of the building regulations. The Government have already announced that the next amendment to part L will take place in 2010. We have begun our work to prepare for this amendment and will, as part of this, be conducting research into levels of compliance with the 2006 amendment.