Catalogue description Records of the Directorate of Construction Industries

Building byelaws were initially the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. The Public Health Act 1961 introduced national building regulations, and responsibility for issuing these regulations passed to the Ministry of Public Building and Works, Directorate of Building Management in 1964. In 1966 responsibility for this function transferred back to H8 branch of the Housing Division in the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.

Construction issues which concerned the Department of the Environment were primarily dealt with by the Construction Industry Directorate, established in 1971 and inherited from the Ministry of Public Building and Works when the Department of the Environment was first created. This directorate sponsored the construction industry in general and dealt with sponsorship policy including issues such as quality assurance and safety standards. Other duties included dealing with international matters, particularly construction exports and energy conservation in buildings.

In 1973, H8 branch in the now Department of the Environment was re-organised and responsibility transferred to the Directorate of Construction Industries, Building Regulations Administrative Division. The division was responsible for the preparation and amendment of building regulations, liaison with local authorities and the construction industry, and the Building Regulations Advisory Committee.

The Building Regulations Administrative Division remained in existence until 1981. Until 1974 the division came under the supervision of the Construction Industry Directorate. It was then transferred first to Housing Directorate C (of the Housing and Construction Group) and then to Housing Directorate D, in 1975, before being returned to the Construction Industry Directorate in 1976. From 1977 to 1978 it came under the Finance, Local Government and Construction Directorate. From 1979 to 1981 it probably came under the Construction Industry Directorate.

The Building Regulations Administration Division was complemented by a professional equivalent, Building Regulations Professional Division, which dealt with the professional work on building regulations, liaising with the BSI with regard to codes and standards, and providing advice on EEC and other international matters. In 1982 these two divisions of the Construction Industry Directorate merged to form a single Building Regulations Division, responsible for the amalgamated duties of its two predecessors.

This Building Regulations Division dealt with policy preparation and amendment of building regulations; professional work on building regulations, liaison with local authorities and the construction industry; the Building Regulations Advisory Committee; liaison with BSI on codes and standards used in Building Regulations.

The Buildings Regulations Division subsequently became part of other variously named directorates, as follows: the Construction Industry Directorate (1982-1983); the Housing and Construction Directorate (1984-1986); the Housing Construction and the Built Heritage (1987); the Construction Industry Directorate (1988-1990); the Construction Directorate (1991); the Construction Policy Directorate (1992-1993); and the Construction Sponsorship Directorate (1994-1995).