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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken to support housing associations address safety concerns in relation to large panel system buildings since his Department’s letter of 5 September 2017.

The Department’s letter of 5 September recommended that local authorities and housing associations check their records for whether strengthening work had been undertaken and/or to undertake surveys of any large panel system buildings which they own.

The letter referred building owners to a number of reports available to be helpful in understanding how to assess large panel system buildings, including the Handbook for the structural assessment of large panel system dwelling blocks or accidental loading, which was published by the Building Research Establishment in 2012.

The Department has commissioned the Building Research Establishment to review and update as the Handbook.