Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, in addition to the Fire Safety Review, to support people in shared ownership properties who cannot obtain a mortgage due to a lack of a cladding test certificate.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) designed and implemented the External Wall System form (EWS1) in conjunction with mortgage lenders to assist in the valuation of high-rise residential buildings for mortgage purposes. Not all lenders request an EWS1 form, and the Government does not support a blanket approach in EWS1 use for lower risk properties. We are working with mortgage lenders to support a more pragmatic approach in their valuation of homes within multi storey residential buildings. We are encouraging lenders to accept a broader range of evidence to assure themselves of a build’s value. This could include a fire risk assessment that includes external walls or a recent building control certificate.