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

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many buildings, including those (1) with shared ownership properties, and (2) over 18 metres tall, are currently required by mortgage providers to have an External Wall Survey 1 form before an owner can re-mortgage or sell properties within that building.

The External Wall System form (EWS1) and process is designed and implemented by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in conjunction with mortgage lenders to assist with valuation of high-rise residential buildings. Some lenders do not require an EWS1 form, and others seek them for a greater range of buildings than the process was designed for. It is not a Government policy or regulatory requirement and the department does not hold data on its use.