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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's 2 April 2020 policy paper entitled Government update on building safety, for what reason the regulatory regime will apply to all multi-occupied residential buildings of 18 metres or more in height, or more than six storeys (whichever is reached first), rather than the previous threshold of 18 metres high or six storeys.

The Government intends to start the scope of the new regulatory regime to cover: all multi-occupied residential buildings of 18 metres or more in height, or more than six stories – whichever is reached first. The reason for using both height and number of storeys is to address concerns, raised during the public consultation, regarding the potential for developers to build just under the height threshold. The Government intends to expand the scope of the regime over time, based on evidence of risk.