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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the deadline of 30 September 2021 for the start of remedial works to be paid for under the Building Safety Fund, whether there will be flexibility in the application of that deadline in the event that a decision has been delayed as a result of the appeals process.

The timelines for the Building Safety Fund were intended to incentivise building owners to speed up plans to identify and remediate unsafe buildings. The Building Safety Fund Application Guidance requests that applicants work to meet the deadlines set out by the fund wherever possible. We recognise, however, that meeting these deadlines may not be possible in all circumstances, for instance where applicants find that they do not have sufficient time to complete a robust and satisfactory procurement process or are still going through the appeals process. More time may be permitted on a case by case basis, providing applicants continue to keep delivery partners and residents fully informed and provide them with realistic timetables. Building safety remains the responsibility of the building owner, and they must take swift action to remediate safety issues, without passing on costs to leaseholders.