Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) ensure that the installation of spray foam insulation is regulated and (b) support homeowners unable to sell their homes due to the installation of that insulation.

We are aware of the issues some homeowners are facing in obtaining finance where spray foam insulation has been installed. In response, the insulation, lending, and surveying communities published protocols in March 2023 to support surveyors to assess spray foam and provide reassurance to lenders. This can be found here: https://www.property-care.org/resources/spray-foam-insulation-inspections(opens in a new tab) and Guides & Documents - IMA (insulationmanufacturers.org.uk).

Whilst the department cannot comment on the decisions made by individual lenders, the presence of spray foam should not automatically prevent lending, and decisions should be made on a case-by-case basis following a survey.