Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Cladding Removal

Monday 22 February 2021 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Clive Betts inquired about progress on the design of a loan scheme to fund cladding removal on buildings under 18 metres, expressing concern for leaseholders' financial protection.
  • The Minister confirmed that leaseholders will be protected from costs through a finance scheme with manageable monthly payments, not affecting their debt or credit rating.
  • Thangam Debbonaire questioned the exclusion of buildings under 18 metres from funding, citing concerns about fairness and safety, to which the Minister defended the 18-metre threshold based on expert safety assessments.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Clive Betts Lab Sheffield South East
Housing Environment
Context

The question arises from the need to fund the removal of unsafe cladding on buildings under 18 metres in height, following previous government commitments.

Question

What progress has been made on the design of the loan scheme to fund the removal of cladding on buildings under 18 metres in height? I am concerned about the protection of leaseholders and the financial implications for those affected by this issue.

Answer from Christopher Pincher

Hundreds of thousands of leaseholders will be protected from the cost of replacing unsafe cladding. Funding will target high-risk buildings based on expert advice, and lower-rise buildings with a lower risk profile will gain protection through a new finance scheme with monthly payments no more than £50. We will publish details as soon as we can.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timelines for publishing the details of the loan scheme were not provided.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 Clive Betts Lab Sheffield South East
Housing
Context

The question follows up on previous concerns about the loan scheme for cladding removal, focusing on financial protections for leaseholders.

Question

I thank the Minister for his answer; I look forward to more details. In the meantime, will he confirm that the loan will be a charge on the freeholder and not affect individual leaseholders' debt or property valuation? Also, will funding from the levy and contributions offset the £3.5 billion announced by the Government?

Answer from Christopher Pincher

We ensure that leaseholder costs are not passed onto them through life or affect their credit rating, thus protecting them from unfair costs. The Minister declines to comment further on the funding mechanism until the Chancellor's Budget announcement.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific financial mechanisms and how they relate to the £3.5 billion were not clarified.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q3 Thangam Debbonaire Lab
Context

The question addresses concerns over the 18-metre threshold for assessing risk in cladding removal, citing previous statements by government officials.

Question

I remind the Minister that the Government have committed to leaseholders not paying. However, recent announcements exclude buildings under 18 metres from funding, forcing those affected into debt despite a problem they did not cause. The 18-metre threshold is described as 'crude' and does not reflect risk complexity.

Answer from Christopher Pincher

The 18-metre threshold is established based on safety assessments by experts, including the National Fire Chiefs Council and Dame Judith Hackitt. This approach aims to address the highest-risk buildings first.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific changes or improvements in risk assessment since previous criticisms were not addressed.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q4 Thangam Debbonaire Lab
Housing Environment
Context

The question concerns the government's delay in addressing fire risks due to cladding, citing internal communications suggesting a lack of proper risk assessment.

Question

Leaseholders are still living in buildings with flammable cladding despite previous assurances. The Government claims a risk-based approach but has not used time effectively for better prioritisation or responded to their own call for evidence.

Answer from Christopher Pincher

Safety is our priority. The 18-metre threshold is based on expert assessments indicating higher risks in taller buildings. We have also introduced finance mechanisms for lower-rise buildings to ensure proper remediation and property value reassignment.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specifics of a comprehensive risk prioritisation system or response to the call for evidence were not addressed.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)