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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 29 November 2018 on Grenfell Update, Official Report HCWS1126, if he will extend the ban on the use of combustible materials on new high-rise buildings to (a) hotels and (b) office blocks.

The ban on the use of combustible materials will apply to the external walls of all new buildings above 18 metres that contain flats. This is because the majority of fire related fatalities occur in ‘dwellings’ (76 per cent of fire related fatalities from 2010/11 to 2017/18). The ban will also apply to the external walls of new hospitals, residential care premises and student accommodation and dormitories in boarding schools over 18 metres following strong support for the ban to apply to these types of buildings.

The ban on the use of combustible materials is being focused on buildings where the risks are greatest. The external walls of high rise hotels, offices and other buildings outside the scope of the ban will still be required to adequately resist the spread of fire to meet the requirements of the Building Regulations.