Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alex Norris and Tulip Siddiq

Monday 14th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Highgate) (Lab)]

2. What steps her Department is taking to help support housing associations in the timely remediation of unsafe properties.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Alex Norris)]

In June, we announced over £1 billion of investment to accelerate cladding remediation by giving social landlords the same access to Government remediation schemes as that afforded to private building owners. We will shortly publish revised guidelines on how to access the funding, and a joint plan with social landlords and regulators, in order to accelerate remediation and improve resident experience.

[Tulip Siddiq]

May I thank the Minister and his Department for pushing forward Awaab’s law? It cannot come soon enough, especially the 24-hour deadline for dealing with mould and damp, and especially for my constituent Yasmin, who has been living in an unacceptable situation with very young children for four years. However, I have real concerns about how ready housing associations are to implement the regulations, which are coming in very soon, in October. I have raised this issue with the National Housing Federation, but what assessment has the Minister made of housing associations’ ability to fully comply with all the regulations under Awaab’s law by October, so that we can ensure that all my constituents can live in a safe and healthy environment?

[Alex Norris]

First of all, may I say how sorry I am to hear that my hon. Friend’s constituent Yasmin has been living in those conditions for so long? We have published draft guidance for social landlords to make sure that they understand the requirements under Awaab’s law. As my hon. Friend would expect, we are working very closely with them to support their operational readiness. We took a phased approach, but we are encouraging social landlords to act now. They should raise any concerns with us now, so that we can consider how to best support them. In the meantime, they must meet their existing legal obligations.