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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has plans to promote guidance on material selection within retrofit policy, particularly regarding (a) durability, (b) compatibility and (c) whole-life performance.

The Building Regulations set functional performance requirements for new building work; they may apply when somebody is putting up a new building, making material changes to a building, extending an existing building or altering building services. They are supported by statutory guidance called Approved Documents which help ensure that minimum standards for size, space and materials are incorporated into the design.

The Government requires energy efficiency measures installed under its schemes to comply with the Publicly Available Specification PAS 2035/2030, which sets out best practice guidance for domestic retrofit. PAS 2035 requires a whole‑house approach, ensuring interactions between measures are considered and reducing the risk of unintended consequences such as condensation, damp and mould. The standard includes requirements to assess and, where necessary, improve ventilation to mitigate moisture risks and protect indoor air quality. Together, these requirements support the protection of building fabric, ensure compatibility between measures, and promote durable, long‑term performance of retrofit installations.