Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the conclusion in standard PAS 9980:2022 that the potential for rapid fire spread, even in a low rise building, results in a risk that is “unacceptably high”, what is their estimate of the current number of buildings of a height of 11 metres or lower which are at such risk due to combustible external elements.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

For over two years, the Department has been examining under 11m buildings on a case-by-case basis where leaseholders have raised cladding safety concerns to us. To date, three under 11m buildings have been identified where remediation is needed to make the building safe. Because life safety fire risk is also related to building height, the risk to life from historic cladding fire safety defects is usually lower in buildings under 11m and we expect there to be very few cases of such buildings with unsafe cladding that presents a high risk.

Of the 35 cases seen by the department, where a Fire Risk Appraisal of the External Wall (FRAEW) conducted in accordance with the latest PAS 9980 guidance has recommended remediation, our audits have found that lower-cost mitigations like a fire alarm or significantly scaled-back works were a more proportionate response to the risks presented by the building’s external wall. The risk to life is generally proportionate to the height of buildings. This position is supported by the guidance produced by the BSI for external wall assessors, on which the starting presumption is that low-rise buildings ought normally to be placed in the low-risk category with a more stringent fire safety performance specified for buildings over 18 m in height.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many residential mortgages were handled by or on behalf of UK Asset Resolution in each 12-month period beginning with 1 July 2017; for each period what were (1) the number of compulsory repossessions and sales of underlying security; (2) the average surplus or shortfall realised upon sale of a security as a percentage of the stated mortgage acquisition cost; (3) the number of mortgagors against whom action was initiated after a sale to recover a shortfall in proceeds; and (4) the average administrative costs charged to mortgagors in respect of the combined property repossession, forced sale, and debt recovery processes.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which current members of the House of Lords will be affected by the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill as currently drafted.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Basildon - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal

The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill delivers the manifesto commitment to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. As a result of the Bill, the 92 seats currently reserved for hereditary peers will be removed. The Bill will remove the remaining hereditary peers at the end of the Parliamentary session in which it receives Royal Assent. A list of the current hereditary peers can be found below

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