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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in relation to higher-risk buildings as defined by the Building Safety Act 2022, what assessment her Department has made to identify systemic hazards linked to the risk of structural failure and the potential impact on different structural typologies of higher-risk buildings.

The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced a new regime for occupied higher-risk buildings, overseen by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). Accountable Persons are required to assess, manage and report building safety risks, including those relating to structural failure.

The BSR, keeps the safety of buildings under review in accordance with its statutory duty set out in Section 5 of the Building Safety Act 2022. As part of this work, BSR assesses emerging evidence relating to potential structural safety risks. The BSR works with the sector to understand the extent and implications of these risks.

There is no comprehensive data set to inform assessment of severity of structural safety risks in buildings. The BSR is undertaking research to better understand how to strengthen the collection and use of structural safety data in the future. BSR is alert to the risk of deterioration in structural condition posed by our ageing building stock. The BSR and MHCLG are working together to determine if more needs to be done to ensure building structures are appropriately reviewed, maintained and managed throughout their lifecycle.