So far I have concentrated on a series of major policy issues, most requiring primary legislation, that have tended to attract high levels of political attention, and often controversy. But the process of government is also full of detail, much of which, while important and significantly impacting on people’s lives, rarely attracts media coverage unless things go wrong. In this chapter I cover a number of such issues, the first two relating to Building Regulations. The Building Regulations are designed to protect the safety of those involved in the construction and occupation of buildings. They are there to ensure that what is built is structurally sound, wind- and waterproof, and that it meets the various standards for lighting, ventilation, sound and thermal insulation, energy efficiency and so on necessary to meet the expectations of society, as approved by Parliament, at any given point in time. Almost by definition there is a continuing process of adapting and upgrading the standards both to reflect advances in technology and building techniques and to respond to other pressures, such as the obligation to achieve reductions in carbon emissions. There are also some fine judgements to be made on the best way to promote innovation that will lead to higher standards without adding unreasonable cost.

As in so many other areas of public policy, the Building Regulations prompt very different reactions and points of view. Developers and house-builders generally seek to minimise the imposition of what they often describe as unnecessary additional regulatory burdens, although in some circumstances they recognise that Building Regulations can create a ‘level playing field’ that allows necessary improvements, for example in energy efficiency standards, to be achieved across the industry, without the most progressive companies being undercut by those that fail to meet proper standards. Conversely, lobbying groups, including those representing environmental interests or the concerns of people with disabilities, generally press for enhancements in the required standards to meet their campaigning objectives. While this reflects a familiar pattern of political debate, the way in which the issues are dealt with in government is in some respects very different. Civil servants in the teams dealing with Building Regulations tend to stay much longer in post than those in other policy divisions, where a three-year turnover pattern is common.