Asked by: Simon Clarke (Conservative - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the total cost was of the Independent inquiry into Teesworks.
Answered by Simon Hoare
Given the seriousness of allegations made in this House, it was only right that we answered the Mayor's calls to establish a review. This was a thorough review undertaken by qualified individuals, which does result in costs to the taxpayer. When this is finalised we will make it publicly available.
Asked by: Simon Clarke (Conservative - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help people with shared ownership of a property who are unable to dispose of the property as a result of remedial action being needed by the landlord owing to the presence of combustible cladding.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
It is unacceptable for leaseholders, including those in shared ownership, to have to worry about the cost of fixing historic safety defects in their buildings that they did not cause.
Where developers or building owners have been unable or unwilling to pay, we have introduced funding schemes providing £1.6 billion to accelerate the pace of work and meet the costs of remediating the highest risk and most expensive defects – ACM cladding and other unsafe cladding systems like High Pressure Laminates.
The Government is determined to remove barriers to fixing historic defects and identify financing solutions that help to protect leaseholders, including those participating in shared ownership schemes, whilst also helping to protect the taxpayer. The Government has asked Michael Wade to accelerate work on a long-term solution. We will provide an update as soon as we are in a position to do so.