Oral Answers to Questions

Matthew Pennycook Excerpts

Tuesday 28th April 2020 Commons Chamber

[Robert Jenrick]

It is absolutely right that everybody working on the frontline of this crisis has the protective equipment that they deserve. Of course, those working in local government, and particularly those working in care homes, deserve the best possible care. We have been working to ensure that PPE reaches them through our local resilience forums, which my Department is responsible for. That has delivered over 50 million items of PPE in the past three weeks, the vast majority of which—36 million items—have gone to care homes. Of course there is more that we need to do. The online Clipper service is now being piloted in care homes and in general practice, and it will be rolled out, as the Health Secretary has said, in the coming weeks.

[Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich and Woolwich) (Lab)]

What recent steps he has taken to help ensure the removal and replacement of unsafe non-ACM cladding from high-rise residential blocks.

[The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Robert Jenrick)]

At Budget we announced that £1 billion will be provided to fund the removal and the replacement of unsafe non-ACM cladding from high-rise blocks to drive action at pace and protect leaseholders from unfair remediation costs. This is in addition to the £600 million already provided to remove Grenfell-style ACM cladding. As a result of covid-19, remediation work has currently paused on as many as 60% of sites, but I have been working to persuade companies to get back to work, and we are seeing some success. I have brought together Mayors and council leaders to issue a strong co-ordinated message that this important work can and should continue.

[Matthew Pennycook [V]]

I thank the Secretary of State for his response. He will, though, I know, be conscious of the additional strain that—[Inaudible.]

[Mr Speaker]

I think that unfortunately I am not going to ask the Secretary of State to comment on that.