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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support leaseholders to ensure that buildings conform with new building standards.

Through the Building Safety Bill, we will be ensuring that building owners of higher-risk buildings have clear accountabilities for managing building safety as Accountable Persons. Residents will have a clear voice under the new regime and will be empowered to hold their Accountable Person to account, with the ability to raise complaints for breach of accountable person duties, and escalate such complaints to the regulator.

The new Building Safety Regulator will enforce the more stringent regulatory regime for higher-risk buildings and oversee the safety and performance of all buildings.

The Government funds the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) to provide free and independent advice to leaseholders, including those affected by building safety issues. This aims to help them make informed decisions on next steps and engage confidently with freeholders, developers and managing agents. Advice is open to all and there is no limit on the amount of advice an individual can seek to support their chances of achieving the best possible outcome in their case.