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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department takes to evaluate the risk of fire in buildings; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of aligning trigger height thresholds for the use of combustible materials with firefighting capabilities.

In January 2020, we consulted on the proposal to extend the ban of the use of combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings. We continue to review and analyse the numerous and detailed responses we have received and develop our proposal. We will publish a response to the consultation in due course.

In April 2020, the Government published the workplan for the technical review of the statutory guidance to the Building Regulations with regards to fire safety (Approved Document B). We have commissioned research for this fundamental review which will address key fire safety issues. We have already started research on trigger heights and thresholds, means of escape for disabled people, specialised housing, and other important topics. Details of the technical review are set out here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/877365/Technical_review_of_Approved_Document_B_workplan.pdf

The Technical Review will provide us a robust evidence base to make any future policy decisions.