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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether buildings with external zinc cladding attached to timber battens would qualify for an A1, A2, A3 or B1 fire safety rating.

The Government has always been clear that a risk-based professional judgement should be made regarding the safety of a building's external wall system and would encourage building owners to consult a competent professional who will be able to advise.

A number of factors should be considered when considering the external walls of buildings such as building height, cavity barrier provision, ability to pass a large-scale test (i.e., BS 8414/BR135) and consideration of other fire safety measures such as sprinklers. We cannot comment on specific building situations, however we would always encourage those undertaking these assessments to use an approach proportionate to the level of risk in each building.

We are developing more risk-proportionate guidelines for fire risk assessors, including PAS 9980 and new statutory fire safety guidance.