The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has
announced a new inquiry to undertake pre-legislative scrutiny of
the draft Building Safety Bill.
The draft bill sets out how the Government intends to put into
law the policies set out in its earlier consultation, and effect
change that reflects the principles and recommendations of the
Hackitt report into building regulations and fire safety.
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee will
undertake detailed examination of the draft Bill to assess its
policy objectives, key provisions and likely impact against its
aims in five key areas set out in the Government’s consultation:
accountability; residents’ voice; enforcement and sanctions;
product testing and the regulatory system.
This will include assessment of:
- How well does the Bill, as drafted, meet the Government’s own
policy intentions?
- Does the draft Bill establish an appropriate scope for the
new regulatory system?
- Will the Bill provide for a robust – and realistic – system
of accountability for those responsible for building safety? Are
the sanctions on those who do not meet their responsibilities
strong enough?
- Will the Bill provide strong mechanisms to ensure residents
are listened to when they have concerns about their building’s
safety?
- Is the Government right to propose a new Building Safety
Charge? Does the bill introduce sufficient protections to ensure
that leaseholders do not face excessive charges and that their
funds are properly managed?
- Does the Bill improve the product testing regime in a way
that will command the full confidence of the sector?
- Is it right that the new Building Safety Regulator be
established under the Health and Safety Executive, and how should
it be funded?
- Does the Bill present an opportunity to address other
building safety issues, such as requirements for sprinkler
systems?
Announcing the new inquiry, said:
“The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has
dedicated significant time over the last two years to understand
what lessons need to be learned from the failures that led to the
Grenfell disaster and are committed to ensuring that reforms are
in place to make sure the same mistakes cannot be repeated.
“We must ensure that the lasting legacy of Grenfell isn’t just
improvements to the rules and regulations governing how buildings
should be made safe. It is vital that there is meaningful and
lasting reform that empowers residents and gives them more say in
how buildings are run. We must also examine how well the
Government’s proposed legislation meets their commitment to
implement the recommendations of the Hackitt review.
“There must also be greater accountability built into the system
to make sure that there is no repeat of the current situation
that many leaseholders find themselves in, bearing the cost for
removing potentially flammable cladding installed on their
buildings that they had no say in.
“The draft bill must enable profound change of the regulatory
system, give greater clarity of the rights of residents and
toughen the responsibilities of builders, developers and
freeholders. This is the standard we will hold the Government to
as we investigate its proposals.”
