Building Safety Defects

Lord Naseby Excerpts

Wednesday 5th January 2022 Lords Chamber

[Lord Greenhalgh (Con)]

We have quite a lot of the data on the number of medium-rise buildings, and there are far more medium-rise buildings than there are high-rise ones. The figure of 77,000 is broadly correct, but the number within that requiring remediation is very small indeed. I cannot give the noble Baroness those statistics, but I have seen our survey work. The number requiring mitigation is also very small. Frankly, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors seems to be more interested in how it can raise money for surveyors than being proportionate in terms of the approach towards this crisis.

[Lord Naseby (Con)]

Nevertheless, does my noble friend recognise that there is great hardship for significant numbers of people who are stuck in the middle? I speak as a former chairman of the housing committee in the London Borough of Islington. I am sure that local authority housing departments would, if it were put to them properly, be willing to look at taking over a limited number of flats to ensure that those who have to move can move.

[Lord Greenhalgh (Con)]

As someone who has served in London local government in, I think, Lambeth—

[Lord Naseby (Con)]

No—Islington.