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.