Tower Blocks: Dangerous Cladding

Mark Pawsey Excerpts
Tuesday 22nd January 2019

(5 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Kit Malthouse Portrait Kit Malthouse
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I am more than happy to look into the specific situation and write to the hon. Lady once I have had a review from the Department.

Mark Pawsey Portrait Mark Pawsey (Rugby) (Con)
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For a variety of reasons, local authorities with high-rise social housing are in the process of taking it down. That includes Rugby Borough Council, which is about to demolish two blocks at Biart Place, where there are structural concerns, and replace them with a larger number of conventional housing units. Does the Minister agree that this process should be accelerated?

Kit Malthouse Portrait Kit Malthouse
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It is typical of my hon. Friend to fight for improvements for his constituents. I agree that for buildings built in the 1960s and ’70s—I do not know what period the buildings he refers to are—refurbishment often presents more challenges than demolishing and replacing them. In doing so, the consideration of a different formulation—including streets, squares, low rise and high density—may well be preferable to high rise.