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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors on the availability of fire experts to complete the EWS1 form for external wall fire reviews; and if he will make a statement.

The Minister for Fire and Building Safety met with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) on Tuesday 23 June to discuss the use of the EWS1 form in valuations of high-rise blocks. The EWS1 was designed to address concerns around the potential for costly remediation works on high-rise buildings. I recognise the leadership role RICS has taken in this challenging area. RICS are engaging with insurers to unblock concerns around risk which are impacting on professional capacity.