Minister to be quizzed on possible gaps in Building Safety plans

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee will question Lee Rowley MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Local Government and Building Safety), on perceived gaps in the Building Safety Act 2022.

The cross-party group of MPs will also explore questions over the funding of building safety works and ongoing issues relating to building safety and remediation, including the liability of the supply chain, the Developers’ Contract, and the funding pilot for buildings 11-18m in height.

The Committee, meeting today (Monday, March 20) is also expected to ask questions relating to the Responsible Actors Scheme and the Recovery Strategy Unit. It will also ask what assurances can be given to social housing providers, local authorities, and crucially to leaseholders.

The Committee has also published a summary note of issues raised in a recent Committee event by a range of stakeholders including builders, chartered surveyors, developers, freeholders, insurers, landlords, leaseholders, managing agents, local government, product manufacturers, and social housing providers.

Also published is a written evidence submission from the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) and a joint submission from End Our Cladding Scandal and the UK Cladding Action Group.

These submissions raise concerns about issues including the Developers’ Contract, the Building Safety Fund, increases in insurance premiums, and the differentiation between “qualifying” and “non-qualifying” leaseholders.

Last week, the End Our Cladding Scandal group welcomed news that 39 developers, who were initially asked to sign the Government’s pledge a year ago, have so far signed the developer remediation contract.

“Signs of progress are welcome, but this is only a minor step forward for the small fraction of leaseholders who have a developer who has signed the contract,” said the campaigners. “They now face battles ahead to ensure all required life-critical fire safety work is actually completed. It is essential that there is effective and robust oversight of the work at each building to ensure developers are no longer able to focus on their profits over our safety.

The number of buildings covered by these contracts is only a fraction of the unsafe buildings across the country, less than 15%. On 30^th January, Mr Gove said that the funding schemes for remediating the other 85% of buildings had been “turbocharged”; however, we have seen little evidence of this in practice. The mid-rise scheme still remains closed for thousands of unsafe buildings.

Many leaseholders have spent thousands of pounds already in the years since Grenfell and the Department has decided that the developers shouldn’t be asked to pay that money back.

More, much more, must be done – including the pursuit of freeholders and construction product manufacturers who have so far avoided their responsibilities and not been held to account. Action against individual companies is one thing, but we must see all such industry stakeholders held fully accountable, at true pace, with resultant funds used to protect leaseholders quickly.”