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 12 February 2020 to Question 12405 on Buildings, if his Department will (a) make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing into public ownership those residential buildings where there has been an abject failure of many building owners to do the right thing and (b) remove unsafe cladding materials from those buildings.

It is the Government’s priority to ensure that residents are safe. We are clear that unsafe ACM cladding must be replaced swiftly. Where insufficient progress is being made, building owners can expect further action to be taken, including enforcement.

In the Queen’s Speech, the Government announced legislation which will put beyond doubt that the Fire Safety Order applies to external walls (including cladding) and individual flat entrance doors in multi-occupied residential buildings. This will affirm Fire and Rescue Services’ enforcement role for these buildings.