Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to improve fire safety in (a) new and (b) existing high-rise buildings in Essex.

The Building Safety Act 2022 established a comprehensive regulatory framework for fire and structural safety to ensure homes are safe now and in the years to come. A key part of this included the establishment of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to oversee new and existing higher-risk buildings, as well as the introduction of new legal duties to ensure there is someone clearly responsibly for safety during the design, build and occupation of these buildings across England.

For occupied higher-risk buildings, those responsible must report safety issues, maintain a 'golden thread' of information, produce a safety case report to demonstrate safety risks are being effectively managed, and engage residents to support ongoing risk management. BSR uses the building assessment certificate process to determine whether dutyholders are meeting specific legal duties, and whether they are taking all reasonable steps to manage building safety risks. The BSR began directing applications for building assessments in April 2024.

Since the Grenfell Tower fire, significant updates have been made to fire safety regulations and guidance within Approved Document B to improve safety standards for new buildings. New Measures for residents include a ban on combustible materials in and on the external wall of buildings over 18m, provisions for sprinklers in buildings over 11m, second staircases in high-rise buildings over 18m.