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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve standards within the construction industry.

A programme of work to improve the competence of the construction sector and to strengthen guidance in building safety is ongoing.

The Building Safety Act 2022 establishes the new Building Safety Regulator which will enforce a stringent new regulatory regime for high-rise residential and other in scope buildings, oversee the safety and standard of all buildings, and facilitate improvement in the competence of industry and building inspectors. We will use powers within the Act to develop regulations that place duties on those who procure, plan, manage and undertake building work in all buildings. Anyone undertaking design work or building work will need to ensure that they, and those they appoint, have the skills or competence for the work they are engaged to undertake.