asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if he is now in a position to request either the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards, the National Board of Science and Technology or his own technical officials to make an assessment of the energy implications of the proposed draft revision to the development plan of local authorities and if he will be, in conjuction with the Department of the Environment, indicating energy conservation guidelines to local authorities.

Present practice is that development plans, and revisions, forwarded to me by local authorities, are brought to the notice of the power companies concerned with the area in question, and their comments are invited in so far as the plan has energy implications from their viewpoint. Action on these comments would depend on the nature of the comments. The issue of guidelines to local authorities is a matter for the Minister for the Environment, but consultations are proceeding with that Department on this issue. Representatives of the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards who have now been given a leading role in energy conservation will be involved in the future discussions.

Could consideration be given when local authority houses are being designed to ensuring that there will be maximum energy conservation in them?

As the Deputy is aware, new regulations in this regard will come into effect in July. The development plans for these houses would be involved basically with structure and layout.

Has the Minister considered possible reductions in the amount of traffic and petrol consumption?

The format used in the Energy Division is that when plans come before us they are circulated to the various authorities concerned.

Does the Minister expect any material changes as a result of these activities and, if so, what type of changes?

It is difficult to specify exact changes but the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards are assuming an active role in the whole conservation question. They have been given new instructions by the Minister—

Is anything happening in this field, or is it just more paper?

30.