Flammable Cladding Removal

Opened the debate

The MP paid respects to those who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire. She highlighted that an estimated 60,000 people are still living in homes with dangerous aluminium composite material cladding, along with many more in buildings at risk due to other factors. The Fire Brigades Union estimates that over half a million people are currently residing in unsafe housing across the UK as a result of flammable materials like ACM and HPL. She criticised the government for taking too long to fund removal efforts (1 year for social sector, 2 years for private) and stated that £3-3.5 billion is needed compared to the £1.6 billion provided so far. Residents cannot sell or remortgage their flats due to a lack of EWS1 forms and fear of fire risks. She called on the government to use powers if necessary, including compulsory purchasing orders for non-compliant building owners.

Government Response

The Minister acknowledged the importance of the debate and thanked Rushanara Ali for her work. He stated that the Building Safety Programme was established within days of the Grenfell Tower fire, aiming to remove unsafe ACM cladding from high-rise buildings at no cost to leaseholders. £1.6 billion in funding has been set aside for remediation efforts, with progress being made but much more still required. The Minister emphasised that building owners and managers should be responsible for costs, but public funding is available for those who cannot afford it themselves. He committed to increasing pace of remediation through specialist consultants like Faithful+Gould and announced an additional £1 billion fund for non-ACM unsafe cladding materials. The Fire Safety Bill was mentioned as a key measure to strengthen enforcement actions against irresponsible behaviour. The Minister also addressed concerns about waking watch costs, committing to investigate ways to reduce these expenses. He reiterated the government’s commitment to address professional indemnity insurance issues.