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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations his Department has received on residential developments that have had A1 or A2 EWS ratings re-assessed as B2; and what steps he is taking to ensure the standardisation of results through clarifying who is entitled to carry out those tests.

The Department is aware of a small number of cases regarding differing EWS1 valuation assessments. Differing assessments may be as a result of further information about a building being obtained. It is for the building owner to explain any changes in valuation assessment. RICS have published a list of professionals suitable to sign an EWS1 form.

An EWS1 form is not a safety certificate or safety ‘test’. An EWS1 form is not a replacement for a fire risk assessment, carried out by a competent professional.

To support professionals undertaking work to complete the external wall aspect of fire risk assessments, the Government has commissioned the British Standards Institution to produce a Publicly Available Specification (PAS). Known as PAS 9980, this is a code of practice is designed to ensure that if followed, assessments of external wall systems are consistent.

The code of practice has been published in draft form for public consultation, which closes on 20 May.

The Department is funding nearly £700k to train additional assessors. RICS, the body delivering the training, is ensuring alignment with the emergent code of practice.