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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating mortgage lenders to accept alternatives to EWS1 forms in evaluating high-rise residential buildings.

We have made £1 billion available to fund the removal of unsafe non-Aluminium Composite Material cladding in 2020/21.

The Department is aware of challenges in obtaining the RICS EWS1 form. We are working with mortgage lenders to support a more pragmatic approach in their valuation of homes within multi occupancy, multi storey residential buildings.

Not all lenders request an EWS1 form. We are encouraging lenders to accept a broader range of evidence to assure themselves of a build’s value.