Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to implement a policy to encourage or mandate the retro-fitting of sprinklers into high-rise buildings; and if he will make a statement.

The decision on whether to install sprinklers is a decision for each building owner, to be taken in conjunction with professional advice from appropriate experts about their particular building. Building owners are responsible for funding fire safety measures.

In 2013, the Department for Communities and Local Government wrote to all local authorities and housing associations, asking them to consider a coroner’s report recommendation that they should consider retro-fitting sprinklers in existing high-rise residential buildings.

The Government will give further consideration to various issues in light of the findings of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety.