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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of enforcement powers available to local authorities to compel building owners to provide accurate information on the cladding and insulation present on their buildings.

Local authorities have been asked to undertake a data collection exercise on residential buildings 18 metres and over in height to identify their external wall systems. Local authorities have powers under Section 235 of the Housing Act 2004 to require building owners to provide documentation which may include the type of materials on the external wall systems of buildings. Local authorities can pursue enforcement action against buildings that are hazardous through the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) regime.