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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the reasons why mortgage lenders are requiring completion of an ESS1 certificate on all flats situated in blocks of less than five stories even where cladding is not present.

An EWS1 form is not a statutory or regulatory requirement nor ​a​ safety ‘test’. Not all lenders ask for an EWS1, but when or whether they do remains a commercial decision. The measures in the January Statement provide a clear framework for proportionate risk assessments whilst encouraging lenders to base their risk management on the presumption that medium and low rise buildings are safe, unless there is evidence to the contrary.

The Department publishes quarterly data on the number of EWS1s required on mortgage valuations by the 7 largest lenders, including for medium- and low-rise buildings on gov.uk. The latest data published on 17 February 2022 shows that lenders required completion of an EWS1 form or equivalent for 2% of valuations for flats in 1-4 storey blocks between October and December 2021. We will continue to work with lenders to enable them to accept forms of assurance other than EWS1s, such as a comprehensive fire risk assessment.