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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that applications to the Building Safety Fund are not prevented from progressing as a result of absent freeholders living overseas and who are not responsive to requests to complete necessary paperwork and application forms; if he will take steps to compel all freeholders of UK properties to respond within a particular time-frame to requests to complete paperwork relating to the Building Safety Fund; and if he will make a statement.

The Department and its delivery partners work closely with applicants to make sure that they are prompt in completing their application and engage with the Department to resolve any issues they are having. Where owners are based overseas, we will work with their UK-based representatives. Where building owners are failing to make acceptable progress, those responsible should expect further action to be taken. Local Authority and Fire and Rescue Services have enforcement powers and the Government is supporting them to use those powers against high-rise buildings with unsafe cladding.