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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2019 to Question 224346 on Buildings: Insulation, whether he has made a recent assessment of the dangers of toxic smoke from commonly used insulation materials in the event of a fire.

On 29 November 2018 the Government introduced a ban of combustible materials in the external wall of buildings including blocks of flat, student accommodation and care homes more than 18 metres in height. The ban requires that all materials which become part of an external wall or specified attachment achieve European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1, other than those covered by exemptions. This means that materials are classified by smoke production as well as combustibility and production of droplets. These classifications impose the maximum possible restriction on smoke production.

In addition, the Government published, on 18 December, a call for evidence to form the basis for a technical review of Approved Document B (Fire Safety). Paragraphs 38 to 41 address the issue of smoke and toxicity. The call for evidence closed on 1 March 2019, the Department is in the process of reviewing the evidence provided.