Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on repealing the Vagrancy Act 1824.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
This Government is clear that no-one should be criminalised simply for having nowhere to live and sleeping rough. The cross-Government Rough Sleeping Strategy, which was published in August 2018, committed to reviewing homelessness and rough sleeping legislation, including the Vagrancy Act 1824. The Government believes that review of the 1824 Act, rather than immediate wholesale repeal, is the right course of action to ensure the consequences of repeal are fully understood. MHCLG will report no later than March 2020.
At the heart of the review will be the experiences and perceptions of a range of relevant stakeholders including the homelessness sector, the police, local authorities, business representatives, community groups and individuals with lived experience. As part of the review officials intend to consult the Welsh Government.
The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period. This year, Rough Sleeping Initiative investment totals £46 million and has been allocated to 246 areas – providing funding for an estimated 750 additional staff and over 2,600 bed spaces.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2018 to Question 164527 on Buildings: Insulation, what assessment he has made of the level of risk combustible cladding poses to (a) schools, (b) care homes and (c) hospitals.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The remediation programme underway since the Grenfell Tower tragedy is dealing with Aluminium Composite Materials cladding systems which are unsafe. We expect building owners to be systematically reviewing the safety of their buildings as a matter of course. All buildings covered under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which include schools, hospitals, and residential care premises, must have their fire risk assessment regularly reviewed so as to keep it up to date.
Schools are very safe environments in this regard as they are typically occupied during the daytime and have multiple exit routes. In addition, all schools must comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, including having an up-to-date Fire Risk Assessment and conducting regular fire drills.
NHS trusts are locally responsible for their fire safety, and take it very seriously. Fire safety guidance specific to the NHS, Firecode, is provided to support them in doing this. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, NHS organisations must, as far as is reasonably practical, make sure that everyone on the premises, or nearby, can escape safely if there is a fire. They will therefore consider the ban on combustible cladding as part of the regular fire risk assessments they carry out on their existing estate
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the level of fire risk posed in cases of combustible cladding is used on (a) schools, (b) hospitals and (c) care homes.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The remediation programme underway since the Grenfell Tower tragedy is dealing with Aluminium Composite Materials cladding systems which are unsafe. We expect building owners to be systematically reviewing the safety of their buildings as a matter of course. All buildings covered under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which include schools, hospitals, and residential care premises, must have their fire risk assessment regularly reviewed so as to keep it up to date.
Schools are very safe environments in this regard as they are typically occupied during the daytime and have multiple exit routes. In addition, all schools must comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, including having an up-to-date Fire Risk Assessment and conducting regular fire drills.
NHS trusts are locally responsible for their fire safety, and take it very seriously. Fire safety guidance specific to the NHS, Firecode, is provided to support them in doing this. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, NHS organisations must, as far as is reasonably practical, make sure that everyone on the premises, or nearby, can escape safely if there is a fire. They will therefore consider the ban on combustible cladding as part of the regular fire risk assessments they carry out on their existing estate.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2018 to Question 164527 on Buildings: Insulation, whether the Government plans to ban the use of combustible materials on (a) schools, (b) hospitals and (c) care homes.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government consulted on applying the ban to residential buildings with a top storey more than 18 metres above ground level, in line with current Building Regulations guidance. The ban will also apply to the external walls of new hospitals, residential care premises, student accommodation and residential accommodation in schools for those buildings which have a top storey more than 18 metres above ground level.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer given on 25 July 2018 to Question 164527 on Buildings: Insulation, whether the Government has made an estimate of the number of (a) schools, (b) care homes, (c) hospitals and (c) other high-risk buildings that might have combustible cladding or insulation.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government’s Building Safety Programme is tracking the remediation of residential buildings over 18 metres with unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding systems. The data in our monthly data release includes buildings which are partially clad in these materials.
We do not hold the relevant information for buildings with other cladding or insulation systems. As of 12 October 2018, there are 9 high-rise (over 18 metres) publicly owned buildings, comprising hospitals and schools in England with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet the Building Regulations requirements. Of these, 8 are hospitals and 1 is a school.
We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS Improvement and Department for Education to ensure that appropriate remediation steps are being taken on public buildings. We are not aware of any high-rise care homes over 18 metres with unsafe ACM cladding systems. We do not hold the relevant information for any buildings with other cladding or insulation systems.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer given on 25 July 2018 to Question 164527, what estimate he has made of the number of care homes in England and Wales of any height that have combustible (a) cladding and (b) insulation.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government’s Building Safety Programme is tracking the remediation of residential buildings over 18 metres with unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding systems. The data in our monthly data release includes buildings which are partially clad in these materials.
We do not hold the relevant information for buildings with other cladding or insulation systems. As of 12 October 2018, there are 9 high-rise (over 18 metres) publicly owned buildings, comprising hospitals and schools in England with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet the Building Regulations requirements. Of these, 8 are hospitals and 1 is a school.
We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS Improvement and Department for Education to ensure that appropriate remediation steps are being taken on public buildings. We are not aware of any high-rise care homes over 18 metres with unsafe ACM cladding systems. We do not hold the relevant information for any buildings with other cladding or insulation systems.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2018 to Question 164527 on Buildings: Insulation, whether the Government has made an estimate of the number of (a) schools, (b) care homes and (c) hospitals that are partially clad in combustible material such as ACM cladding.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government’s Building Safety Programme is tracking the remediation of residential buildings over 18 metres with unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding systems. The data in our monthly data release includes buildings which are partially clad in these materials.
We do not hold the relevant information for buildings with other cladding or insulation systems. As of 12 October 2018, there are 9 high-rise (over 18 metres) publicly owned buildings, comprising hospitals and schools in England with ACM cladding systems unlikely to meet the Building Regulations requirements. Of these, 8 are hospitals and 1 is a school.
We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS Improvement and Department for Education to ensure that appropriate remediation steps are being taken on public buildings. We are not aware of any high-rise care homes over 18 metres with unsafe ACM cladding systems. We do not hold the relevant information for any buildings with other cladding or insulation systems.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to Written Statement of 9 October 2018 on Building safety update, HCWS976, whether he plans to extend the ban on combustible materials to all hospitals irrespective of height.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government consulted on applying the ban to residential buildings with a top storey more than 18 metres above ground level, in line with current Building Regulation’s guidance. Following analysis of consultation responses we also included hospitals above 18 metres. The majority of respondents to the consultation showed support for this height threshold and it will be used as the basis for the ban to be consistent with current guidance. The Government will review this height threshold as part of the wider technical review of the building regulations for fire safety set to start in the Autumn.
The NHS already has a very good record of fire safety, but cannot remain complacent. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, NHS organisations must, as far as is reasonably practicable, make sure that everyone on the premises, or nearby, can escape safely if there is a fire. Therefore, they will consider the ban on combustible cladding as part of the regular fire risk assessments they carry out on their estate when they have new build or refurbishment. This will include whether it applies to all walls irrespective of height of the hospital.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to Written Statement of 9 October 2018 on Building safety update, HCWS976, whether he plans to extend the ban on combustible materials to all care homes irrespective of height.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government consulted on applying the ban to residential buildings with a top storey more than 18 metres above ground level, in line with current Building Regulation’s guidance. Following analysis of consultation responses we also included, registered care premises above 18 metres. The majority of respondents to the consultation showed support for this height threshold and it will be used as the basis for the ban to be consistent with current guidance. The Government will review this height threshold as part of the wider technical review of the building regulations for fire safety set to start in the Autumn.
All registered care homes are inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who liaise with local fire services as part of their on going monitoring. On inspection, CQC look at how providers are assessing fire risks to ensure the safety of the resident. The findings of the CQC assessments must be acted on without delay if improvements are required.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2018 to Question 164527, how many high-rise care home buildings that are above 18 metres have rainscreen cladding.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government’s Building Safety Programme is tracking the remediation of residential buildings over 18 metres with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding systems. We are not aware of any high-rise care homes in our dataset.