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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to bring sections (a) 143 and (b) 144 of the Building Safety Act into force in the current parliament.

Section 144 of the Building Safety Act (2022) created a power to mandate a requirement for all new build homes to be sold with a new build warranty. No decision has been made by the government on commencement of this power.

In the meantime, most new build warranties cover damages caused by structural defects for a 10-year term, while the developer is often held accountable for the first two years of this period.

In October 2024 the previous government published its response the Competition and Market's Authority's housebuilding study. This included a commitment to bring forward a new consumer code for housebuilders and a New Homes Ombudsman service which will empower homeowners to rightly challenge developers for any quality issues they face in their home which the current government is also committed to.