Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
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 effectiveness of the fire regulatory framework in ensuring fires do not spread beyond the room of origin in (a) high-rise flats, (b) medium-rise flats, (c) low-rise flats, (d) houses and (e) bungalows.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Last year, the Government commissioned Dame Judith Hackitt to carry out an Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. We are considering Dame Judith’s recommendations for strengthening the system and will set out plans to take them forward in the autumn.
Separately, we have consulted on banning combustible materials for use in the external wall systems of high rise residential buildings and on restricting the use of assessments in lieu of tests and are analysing the responses to these consultations.
We are also consulting on a clarified version of the Building Regulations fire safety guidance and have announced that in the autumn we will publish a call for evidence to inform a technical review of the provisions in the guidance.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to require the removal of combustible cladding and insulation from (a) schools, (b) care homes and (c) hospitals.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
As of 12 July, 2018, fourteen publicly-owned buildings (including schools and hospitals) have failed large-scale system tests on their cladding systems. One building has now completed the remediation process, including removal and replacement of its aluminium composite material cladding. The other building owners are working with the relevant fire and rescue service and other specialists to consider remedial work, and are taking account of building users’ needs when they do so. We are not aware of any high-rise care homes with aluminium composite material cladding systems.
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.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for (a) the remedial work on all high-rise buildings with combustible cladding and (b) the implementation of a ban on combustible cladding.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The latest data available was published on 12 July 2018. Of the 159 social sector buildings that have combinations of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding and insulation judged to have failed the large-scale tests 114 or 72 per cent have started the process of remediation. Of these, 13 buildings have finished remediation. Of the 301 private sector residential buildings with cladding systems that are unlikely to meet current Building Regulations guidance, local authorities have told us about plans for remediating 77 buildings. Of these, 23 buildings have started remediation, of which 4 have completed.
A new minister-chaired taskforce has been established to oversee the remediation of private sector buildings with aluminium composite material cladding systems. The taskforce is charged with ensuring that remediation plans are put in place swiftly across all private sector buildings with aluminium composite material cladding systems, and addressing any barriers or identifying any additional support required to achieve this.
The consultation on banning the use of combustible materials in the external walls of high-rise residential buildings closes on 14 August. Consultation responses will be analysed over the summer, with the outcome of the consultation to follow.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to introduce a more robust regulatory framework for fire conditions during tests of combustibility of materials.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Dame Judith Hackitt’s review recommended that test methods and standards should be regularly reviewed in order to drive continuous improvement. The Government has invited views on the Dame Judith’s findings and recommendations, and will set out an implementation plan in the autumn.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the cost to the public purse has been of the (a) consultation into the banning combustible cladding and (b) the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety led by Dame Judith Hackitt Review.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
A number of staff across the Department contributed to the work on the consultation into banning combustible cladding and the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. The Department does not hold information centrally on the staff time or costs taken to prepare the consultation or carry out the review. Dame Judith Hackitt chaired the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety on a pro bono basis – she was not remunerated and only received reimbursement for exceptional travel expenses.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of housing fires in England and Wales involved properties constructed using Modern Methods of Construction; and what estimate he has made of the cost of those fires to the public purse.
Answered by Dominic Raab
This information is not held centrally. Fire Statistics are collected by fire brigades and collated centrally by the Home Office. These statistics do not record the detailed form of construction of each building unless the building is timber framed.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that the fire risks associated with properties built using modern methods of construction are fully assessed in the (a) design, (b) construction and (c) inhabitation phase of those properties.
Answered by Dominic Raab
New buildings constructed using modern methods of construction must comply with Building Regulations’ requirements. These are written in performance terms to allow for different methods of construction. The developer is responsible for ensuring compliance with Building Regulations. The independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety has made a series of recommendations about the regulatory system. The Government supports the principles behind those recommendations and will set out in the Autumn how it intends to implement the new regulatory system.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that combustible products which produce cyanide when burned are banned from buildings on the grounds of fire safety.
Answered by Dominic Raab
We will ensure there is no room for doubt over what materials can be used safely in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings. Having listened carefully to the arguments for banning combustible materials in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings, the Government intends to introduce a ban and will consult accordingly. We will publish a consultation document as early as practicable.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that cladding and building insulation will use only Euroclass A1 and A2 materials that are graded as non-combustible.
Answered by Dominic Raab
We will ensure there is no room for doubt over what materials can be used safely in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings. Having listened carefully to the arguments for banning combustible materials in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings, the Government intends to introduce a ban and will consult accordingly. We will publish a consultation document as early as practicable.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the BBC Panorama programme of 21 May 2018 on fire safety testing, if the Government will introduce regulations to ensure that testing a building's cladding system involves testing the cladding and insulation together for safety and combustibility.
Answered by Dominic Raab
We will ensure there is no room for doubt over what materials can be used safely in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings. Having listened carefully to the arguments for banning combustible materials in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings, the Government intends to introduce a ban and will consult accordingly. We will publish a consultation document as early as practicable.