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| RIBA Consults on Regulatory Reform Proposal The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) begins a consultation exercise to invite comments on the institute's proposal - agreed by the RIBA Council on 30 June - that the British government should be asked to clarify the scope of the Architects Registration Board's (ARB) responsibilities. The RIBA's proposals will require changes to primary legislation through a Regulatory Reform Order (RRO). Following the consultation period which runs to 4 January 2006, the RIBA proposes submitting a formal proposal to government that they introduce a RRO to amend the Architects Act 1997 in order to address the following issues: - To require the ARB to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and keep its budget under tight control with a statutory duty to be prudent and economical; - To allow the ARB to be subject to review by the publicly-funded Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman), in line with other statutory bodies; - To avoid unnecessary duplication of accreditation of architectural courses; - To remove the need to re-qualify for registration following a temporary absence from the ARB Register (e.g. following maternity leave); - To protect Honorary Fellows of the RIBA from prosecution for the use of their title; - To strengthen the ARB's powers and duty to prosecute unqualified individuals trading as architectural consultants. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Construction News :: home page |