Mr. Stewart Logan:

It is important to say there is a review under way of Part B under the fire regulations by colleagues in the Department. That will specifically look at the smaller type of development the Chairman referred to in terms of whether that is a significant barrier and whether there are changes that can be made for that code. That is under way currently.

The exemptions the Chairman referred to have been quite successful. From 2018, we have had 300 or 400 of these properties that have moved. That is very much market based and a response to what might be considered a relaxation of or, more correctly, flexibility in the planning regulations, specifically, as the Chairman said, for those typical properties that are above shop on the main street where there are vacancies that have not moved into residential. They have been quite successful.

There possibly is a piece around the co-ordination within the local authority, which holds much of the statutory code piece in that regard. There may be a co-ordination piece there that could perhaps achieve more results around those properties and bring them into residential use. It is a co-ordination piece that is responsive to where there are those properties that perhaps individuals or landowners are interested in developing and I suppose the local authority sector perhaps allocating more resources, more particularly, to assisting those in bring those into a residential use.