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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with mortgage lenders on relaxing restrictions on lending on buildings under 18 metres with fire safety defects.

On 20 December, the six largest mortgage lenders, supported by UK Finance and the Building Societies Association, confirmed, subject to their normal policy requirements, that from Monday 9 January 2023 they will lend on buildings in England of 11 metres and above in height with building safety issues. This is subject to the building being part of a developer or government remediation scheme, or the property being protected by the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act, as evidenced by a leaseholder deed of certificate.

I have met executives from each of those lenders to impress this upon them and to review their progress. It is important that lenders honour this commitment, and my officials and I are monitoring its implementation carefully.