The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Andrew Stunell)
I regret to inform the House that the answer I gave to parliamentary question 90451 from my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jackie Doyle-Price) on 24 January 2012, Official Report, column 135W, could be inadvertently misleading.
The answer should read:
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) allows local authorities to assess properties against 29 different hazards, including damp and mould growth. If following an inspection a property is found to contain a serious, “category 1”, hazard, we would expect the local authority to take action in relation to the hazard. The assessment for whether damp is a hazard takes into account factors such as the state of repair of the dwelling, the extent of existing dampness and the effect it could have on mould growth, and the consequent potential for harm.