Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2021 to Question 110152, on Hospitals: Fire Prevention, what assessment he has made of the (a) fire safety defects and (b) cost of repair for the nine NHS buildings identified with Aluminium Cladded Material (ACM).

Of the nine National Health Service buildings that were identified to potentially have Aluminium Cladded Material (ACM), it was found that one did not have ACM, four have had their ACM removed, two sites are currently in the process of removing their cladding and one has some ACM remaining but due to how the building is used the local Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) have agreed it can remain. The assessment of the potential fire safety defects of the remaining building is currently being finalised with the local FRS.

The Department has committed £10 million to deliver the removal and replacement of ACM across the NHS. To date, capital funding has been provided to all NHS trusts with ACM to pay for its removal, totalling £6.24 million.