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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the role of professional freeholders in managing building (a) safety, (b) fire and (c) structural risk.

The government has consistently made clear that building safety is the responsibility of the building owner.

In October 2018, the government announced an independent working group of housing experts, chaired by Lord Best, to advise government on the regulation of property agents. The working group presented its final report to government on 18 July 2019. We are considering the recommendations in the report carefully.

In line with usual practice, the government’s intention would be to publish an impact assessment on our leasehold reforms as part of taking primary legislation through Parliament.