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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to (a) narrow the scope of the EWS1 process and (b) review his Department's policies and advice to lenders on that process.

The External Wall System (EWS1) and process is designed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) 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. The Government does not support the blanket use of EWS1, especially for lower rise blocks. We are encouraging lenders to accept a broader range of evidence to assure themselves of a building’s safety. This could include a fire risk assessment that includes external walls, a recent building control certificate, or other assurances of the building’s safety the building owner can provide.