The UK will not fall behind the EU on standards around building products after Brexit, housing minister Christopher Pincher (pictured) has said.<\/p>\n
Pincher told the House of Commons that the government is bringing through legislation that would see the UK equal or better the product regulations of the EU. Pincher said: \u201cWe remain committed to maintaining the highest standard for construction products that are put on to the market.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that the government\u2019s Building Safety Bill, which is in draft form, will implement the recommendation of the Hackett Review and strengthen regulations around products. \u201cThis is not a race to the bottom. It is very much a race to the top of standards,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The minister for housing, communities and local government addressed MPs in a debate on building-product standards after the UK leaves the EU on 1 January.<\/p>\n
There will be no immediate change, he confirmed, with current European standards being transposed into UK law. Pincher said the alignment would minimise business disruption. He added: \u201cWill future regulations diverge? That is a matter for the government of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
If the EU was to change its regulations, then products imported would have to comply with the existing UK standard, apart from in Northern Ireland where a \u2018UKNI\u2019 standard that is harmonized with the EU will apply.<\/p>\n
Alan Brown, SNP MP for Kilmarnock & Loudon, said the EU harmonisation of regulations that was passed in 2011 had been good for the industry. \u201cIt gave a wider choice and it actually helped bring down the cost of construction projects and make them more efficient in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown added: \u201cI would suggest to the minister that the UK shouldn\u2019t be in any rush to any divergence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The SNP MP, who is a former civil engineer, also asked how product imports and exports would be affected in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.<\/p>\n
Pincher said he hoped the UK would get a deal, adding it was in the EU\u2019s best interest to agree one. \u201cSomething like \u00a310.8bn of trade [in construction products from the EU to UK] compared to our four-and-a-little-bit billion pounds of trade the other way. It is in the European Union\u2019s interest to come to a good free trade deal with the United Kingdom to ensure that that trade continues to flow,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The UK will not fall behind the EU on standards around building products after Brexit, housing minister Christopher Pincher (pictured) has said. Pincher told the House of Commons that the government is bringing through legislation that would see the UK equal or better the product regulations of the EU. Pincher said: \u201cWe remain committed to …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26091,"featured_media":428516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[564,547],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n