Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Leaseholders: Residential Building Remediation

Monday 16 October 2023 · 6 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government expects developers who caused defects to resolve them, with 50 developers signing contracts to address cladding and non-cladding defects in over 1,100 buildings.
  • Minister encourages constituents to ensure fire risk assessments are undertaken for their properties, including those under 11 metres.
  • Government is checking individual cases of under-11 metre buildings requiring additional remediation and is open to discussing specific cases with hon. Members.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Vicky Foxcroft Lab Lewisham North
Housing
Context

The question arises from ongoing issues faced by leaseholders in buildings affected by cladding and non-cladding defects.

Question

What recent progress has been made on supporting leaseholders with (a) cladding and (b) non-cladding remediation to residential buildings?

Answer from Lee Rowley

The Government expect those who have caused defects to step up to solve them. As the House is aware, 50 developers have now signed contracts to resolve cladding and non-cladding defects in more than 1,100 buildings. For other properties, the Government are making extensive taxpayer subsidy available to support cladding remediation, along with other mechanisms to pursue those who are responsible.

Answered
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Q2 Janet Daby Lab Lewisham East
Housing Environment
Context

A constituent faces significant financial burden to fix fire safety defects in an under-11 meter building, described as a 'never-ending nightmare'.

Question

Help for people living in under-11 metre buildings that have fire safety defects does not go far enough because of the huge amount of money involved. One of my constituents has described her experience as a “never-ending nightmare”. Will the Minister bring that nightmare to an end for constituents such as mine who are forced to pay to fix the mistakes of others?

Answer from Lee Rowley

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for raising a specific question about under-11 metre properties. Every property, be it over or under 11 metres, needs a fire risk assessment, and I encourage her constituent to ensure that a fire risk appraisal of external walls is undertaken against that property.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific measures beyond encouraging constituents to undertake assessments

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Q3 Vicky Foxcroft Lab Lewisham North
Housing
Context

A constituent faces significant costs to remediate cladding defects in an under-11 meter building, described as unaffordable and potentially bankrupting.

Question

I have written to the Minister about a constituent of mine who is a leaseholder living in an under-11 metre property and so is not protected by the Building Safety Act 2022. The cladding costs alone will be well over £100,000 and any non-cladding costs will be substantial. That is completely unaffordable for my constituent and it will bankrupt him. So when will the Minister provide a full update, which was promised to me back on 18 August?

Answer from Lee Rowley

As I say, if the hon. Lady wishes to raise the case of this individual building once again with me or talk to me separately outside, I will be happy to enable that. For every under-11 metre building we are made aware of as requiring additional remediation, we are going through and checking things, and compiling audits, where necessary, to get to the bottom of it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a full update but offered to discuss case separately

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Q4 Julian Lewis Con New Forest East
Context

The question references a previous assurance given by the Secretary of State to end feudal form of tenure and ensure individuals have full rights over their property.

Question

Does the necessity for the Government to take that sort of action show the danger that leaseholders are under from the abuse of freeholders' power? May I, through him, gently remind the Secretary of State of an assurance he gave me when talking about leasehold?

Answer from Lee Rowley

My right hon. Friend knows that I am not able to anticipate what will be in the King's Speech. We are clear that, particularly with regard to remediation, some freeholders have stepped up and should be credited for doing so, but others have absolutely not done so.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm if assurance is included in the King's Speech but acknowledged issues related to freeholders stepping up

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Q5 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Housing
Context

The question focuses on the need for action against developers who refuse to carry out remediation work, leaving leaseholders in peril.

Question

I congratulate my hon. Friend on the action he and the Secretary of State are taking against developers that refuse to remediate tall buildings. What action will he now propose to take against developers that deliberately do not carry out this work and leave leaseholders with their lives in peril and potentially not able to sell or even insure their properties?

Answer from Lee Rowley

As my hon. Friend is aware, we are ensuring that developers uphold the promises they have made, through the developer contract and through the responsible actors scheme, which makes sure that if they fail to do so they could, in extremis, be banned from building in this country again.

Answered
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Q6 Mike Amesbury Lab
Housing
Context

The question addresses the approach taken by the Department of Building Safety, following criticism in The Guardian about a 'do nothing' approach.

Question

More than six years on from the Grenfell disaster, where 72 people lost their lives, Sam, a disabled resident in a Galliard Homes building, is one of the hundreds of thousands of people still trapped in buildings that have not been remediated. Is this the new “do nothing” approach from the Department to building safety that was highlighted in The Guardian today, an approach that forced the resignation of a senior civil servant from the Department?

Answer from Lee Rowley

I think that question is somewhat beneath the hon. Gentleman, but let me state clearly what the Government are doing. They have recognised that there is an issue and have legislated to resolve that. They are working extremely hard to ensure that developers are held to account for that, and over the past few months, they have had success in ensuring that that process takes place.

Not addressed: Did not address the specific allegations about 'do nothing' approach but discussed general actions taken by government

How: Personal Insult, Changed Subject

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