Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the cost to the public purse has been of the (a) consultation into the banning combustible cladding and (b) the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety led by Dame Judith Hackitt Review.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
A number of staff across the Department contributed to the work on the consultation into banning combustible cladding and the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. The Department does not hold information centrally on the staff time or costs taken to prepare the consultation or carry out the review. Dame Judith Hackitt chaired the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety on a pro bono basis – she was not remunerated and only received reimbursement for exceptional travel expenses.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of housing fires in England and Wales involved properties constructed using Modern Methods of Construction; and what estimate he has made of the cost of those fires to the public purse.
Answered by Dominic Raab
This information is not held centrally. Fire Statistics are collected by fire brigades and collated centrally by the Home Office. These statistics do not record the detailed form of construction of each building unless the building is timber framed.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that the fire risks associated with properties built using modern methods of construction are fully assessed in the (a) design, (b) construction and (c) inhabitation phase of those properties.
Answered by Dominic Raab
New buildings constructed using modern methods of construction must comply with Building Regulations’ requirements. These are written in performance terms to allow for different methods of construction. The developer is responsible for ensuring compliance with Building Regulations. The independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety has made a series of recommendations about the regulatory system. The Government supports the principles behind those recommendations and will set out in the Autumn how it intends to implement the new regulatory system.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that combustible products which produce cyanide when burned are banned from buildings on the grounds of fire safety.
Answered by Dominic Raab
We will ensure there is no room for doubt over what materials can be used safely in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings. Having listened carefully to the arguments for banning combustible materials in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings, the Government intends to introduce a ban and will consult accordingly. We will publish a consultation document as early as practicable.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that cladding and building insulation will use only Euroclass A1 and A2 materials that are graded as non-combustible.
Answered by Dominic Raab
We will ensure there is no room for doubt over what materials can be used safely in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings. Having listened carefully to the arguments for banning combustible materials in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings, the Government intends to introduce a ban and will consult accordingly. We will publish a consultation document as early as practicable.
Asked by: Karen Lee (Labour - Lincoln)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the BBC Panorama programme of 21 May 2018 on fire safety testing, if the Government will introduce regulations to ensure that testing a building's cladding system involves testing the cladding and insulation together for safety and combustibility.
Answered by Dominic Raab
We will ensure there is no room for doubt over what materials can be used safely in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings. Having listened carefully to the arguments for banning combustible materials in cladding systems on high rise residential buildings, the Government intends to introduce a ban and will consult accordingly. We will publish a consultation document as early as practicable.