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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of building control officers fully accredited to deliver the new building safety regime when it comes into effect on 1 April, and (2) the capacity of such building control officers to fully enforce that regime across each relevant local authority from that date.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

I refer the noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 16272 on 5 March 2024.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of low-rise homes in England clad in flammable Unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride panels, (2) emerging acute fire risks, as evidenced by the fire at Moss Hall Grove in the London Borough of Barnet, and (3) the funding of appropriate remedial action.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

We are aware of the action being taken by Barnet Council and continue to engage closely with them on the steps they are taking, following the Moss Hall Grove fire in June 2023. The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is aware and is keeping the situation under review, in line with their duty under the Building Safety Act to keep the safety and standards of all buildings under review.

The department will continue to liaise with the BSR and Local Authorities as appropriate to determine whether further action is necessary.

Local authorities, including Barnet Council, are responsible for keeping the housing conditions in their area under review with a view to identifying any action that may need to be taken by them. Local authorities have a longstanding duty where they are building owners to manage building safety and performance risks of all kinds in their buildings, and should continue to do so in a proportionate, risk-based, and evidence-based manner.

Local authorities are also responsible for managing their own budgets and delivering on their responsibilities. This includes their duty as building owners to assess their buildings and keep them safe, and to take any enforcement action they deem necessary.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish the evidence base used to underpin the decision, announced by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in March in its Boiler Upgrade Scheme Consultation Response, that future grant applicants' compliance with Energy Performance Certificate recommendations will be optional.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government response to the consultation on amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme sets out the responses received by industry stakeholders, including evidence to support the removal of the legal requirement to have no outstanding recommendations for cavity and loft insulation which was determined a barrier to access the scheme.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the whole life net carbon savings which will be forfeited as a result of removing the requirement for Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant applicants to comply with Energy Performance Certificate recommendations, in particular arising from (1) the need to specify an oversized heat pump if a home is not improved, and (2) the impact on the existing annual pipeline of grant applicants, many of whom would have proceeded to install in compliance with the old requirements.

Answered by Lord Callanan - Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Removing the insulation requirements from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will reduce barriers to scheme participation and increase the number of property owners moving from polluting fossil fuel heating systems to low carbon heating systems.

Whilst we are empowering consumers to decide what is right for them, it remains government guidance that properties should be well insulated to save money on bills.

In addition, we will continue to mandate that installers on the scheme are MCS certified to ensure systems are appropriately designed and sized for the property and customers are provided with advice on bills.

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Found: Clause 36 BARONESS ANDREWS LORD STUNELL 23_ Clause 36, page 29, line 29, at end insert “and

Found: Clause 36 BARONESS ANDREWS LORD STUNELL _ Clause 36, page 29, line 29, at end insert “and has

Found: Clause 36 BARONESS ANDREWS LORD STUNELL _ Clause 36, page 29, line 29, at end insert “and has