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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2019 to Question 262396 on Buildings: Insulation, if in light of that BS 8414 test failure his Department will undertake a further BS 8414 test on high pressure laminate cladding and combustible insulation.

We have published guidance to reiterate the importance of building owners assessing their buildings and ensuring that non-Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding systems are safe. Advice Note 14, published in 2017 and updated in December 2018, reiterates that the clearest way to ensure safety is to remove unsafe materials.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/765761/Expert_Panel_advice_note_on_non-ACM.pdf

Acting on advice from the Independent Expert Advisory Panel, the Government has commissioned research to support further understanding of the fire performance of non-ACM external wall systems. The tests began on 30 April 2019 and we expect final results to be available by the Summer. The research findings will be published in due course. In addition the Department commissioned the Fire Protection Association to carry out a large scale test (BS 8414) using High Pressure Laminate panels and stone wool insulation.

The Government continues to work with stakeholders to gain a fuller understanding of the construction and safety of high-rise residential buildings.