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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his oral contribution on Building Safety on 10 February 2021, Official report, column 329, whether cladding on residential buildings of less than 11 metres in height by default does not require remedial work; and if he will make a statement.

Longstanding safety advice from the independent expert advisory panel established by Government following the Grenfell tragedy is that height is a central factor in assessing risk, and it is right we prioritise action on higher rise buildings where risk to multiple households is greater when fire spreads. For lower and medium-rise blocks of flats, the risks are significantly lower and the remediation of cladding is less likely to be needed - in many cases, it will not be needed at all. Government funding does not absolve building owners of their responsibility to ensure their buildings are safe. They should consider all routes to meet costs, protecting leaseholders where they can – for example through warranties and recovering costs from contractors for incorrect or poor work.