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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the Government plans to bring forward legislation that holds building owners to account on funding the replacement of unsafe ACM cladding on high-rise private residential properties.

It is the Government’s priority to ensure that residents are safe. We are clear that unsafe ACM cladding must be replaced swiftly. Where insufficient progress is being made, building owners can expect further action to be taken – including enforcement. In the Queen’s Speech, the Government announced legislation which will put beyond doubt that the Fire Safety Order applies to external walls (including cladding) and individual flat entrance doors in multi-occupied residential buildings. This will affirm Fire and Rescue Services’ enforcement role for these buildings.

Where the government has funded the removal and replacement of unsafe ACM cladding, a condition of funding is that applicants are expected to take all reasonable steps to recover the cost of replacing unsafe ACM cladding from those responsible. This will be repaid to Government once recouped.