Supplementary memorandum submitted by
Yvette Cooper MP, Minister for Housing and Planning, Office of
the Deputy Prime Minister
I would like to thank you again for the opportunity
to discuss with the Committee a range of the ODPM's policies and
programmes in relation to the delivery of more sustainable housing.
I agreed to provide some additional information
to the Committee in relation to our cost estimates for house builders
of implementing the Code for Sustainable Homes. Our Regulatory
Impact Assessment (RIA) of the consultation version of the Code
indicates that the minimum standards of the Code per dwelling
would cost £608 and save £53 on water bills per annum.
You also raised the issue of monitoring uptake
and compliance with the Code. I can confirm that we will secure
compliance with the Code through post compliance checking which
means that every Code house will need to have been passed before
it gets its Code rating. We propose to use the already existent
EcoHomes assessors to do this and build on this assessment network
as needed as the Code develops.
As you will be aware the consultation on the
code has now closed and we have confirmed our intention to strengthen
the code in the light of the consultation. We will be setting
out shortly the next steps and I will write again to keep the
Committee updated on progress.I hope this is helpful.
7 March 2006
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