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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the recommendations on improving fire safety tests made by the Association of British Insurers will be incorporated into any future test his Department commissions the Building Research Establishment to undertake to check the fire safety of building materials.

The Department remains of the view, advised by the Independent Expert Advisory Panel, that the BS 8414 test is robust. Changes to the BS 8414 method are a matter for the British Standards Institution (BSI) to consider. The Department understands that BSI is reviewing the BS 8414 methodology including taking account of the issues raised by the Association of British Insurers.