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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that building safety regulations for new build housing is enforced.

The person undertaking building work is responsible for compliance with the building regulations. All new build housing is subject to supervision by a building control body, who have a legal duty to take all reasonable steps to ascertain if the building work complies with the relevant requirements of the building regulations.

Local authorities have enforcement powers to order alteration or removal of building work which contravenes the building regulations and bring a prosecution in the Magistrates’ Court for a breach of the building regulations. In 2015 the previous limit on fines for breaches of building regulations was lifted so fines on conviction for breach of the building regulations are now unlimited.