Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to take enforcement action in cases where high rise residential buildings with dangerous cladding have not been made safe; and if he will make a statement.

The Government itself cannot take enforcement action, but where building owners are failing to make acceptable progress in removing unsafe cladding then they should expect enforcement action by local authorities or Fire and Rescue Authorities who share responsibility for enforcement relating to fire safety.

The Government will support local regulators where enforcement action is taken. We have established a Joint Inspection Team (JIT) to support local authorities in taking enforcement action on building owners with regards to inaction on removing unsafe ACM cladding. The JIT's remit has also been expanded to include non-ACM cladding and it is providing training to help build capability in local authorities.

The Fire Safety Act has also clarified that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the 'Fire Safety Order') applies to external wall systems and will put beyond doubt that Fire and Rescue Authorities can enforce against and where necessary, pursue prosecution if Responsible Persons or those otherwise responsible under the Fire Safety Order fail to take appropriate fire safety measures with regards to unsafe cladding in multi-occupied residential buildings.

Further information on enforcement, including the number of buildings currently subject to enforcement action due to lack of progress on remediation, can be found in Building Safety Programme Monthly Data Release at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/aluminium-composite-material-cladding#acm-remediation-data .