Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to take steps in cases in which freeholders refuse to pay for the replacement of combustible cladding on buildings.
The Secretary of State has consistently set out his strong expectation that leaseholders should be protected from the costs of remediation. My department is actively engaging with all building owners who have not committed to protect leaseholders. We are considering various options to ensure that costs are not passed on to leaseholders.
The Government is also backing local authorities to take enforcement action where building owners are refusing to remediate high-rise buildings with unsafe Aluminium Composite Material cladding. This will include financial support where this is necessary for the local authority to carry out emergency remedial work.