Written statement: Expanding Support for Remediation and Reforming the Building Safety System - July 9

Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy (Samantha Dixon): This Government is committed to making sure there is an effective building safety regime in place, so that people can be confident their homes are safe. It is hugely important to correct the mistakes of the past so residents can move on with their lives. Furthermore, I am of the view that good regulation supports growth as well as safety. Today, I am announcing the next stage in development for the wider building safety system.

In line with calls from industry, residents and campaigners, we are enabling new applications to the Cladding Safety Scheme to be prioritised according to risk to life, rather than solely by building height. This will ensure buildings assessed as presenting the highest risk to life are prioritised for remediation.

As part of this risk-based approach, we are also taking targeted action to address fire safety risks in buildings below 11 metres, where serious, life-critical cladding defects fall outside the scope of statutory protections, leaving leaseholders often facing significant cladding remediation costs.

We have investigated all under 11 metres buildings brought to our attention since 2022. The vast majority have not required cladding remediation, with fire risks often addressed through proportionate, lower-cost mitigation measures. Only a limited number of buildings have been found to require cladding remediation.

We acknowledge that leaseholders in buildings under 11 metres have faced prolonged uncertainty. I am pleased to confirm today that we are launching new, targeted funding to support the remediation of unsafe cladding on a small number of multi-occupancy residential buildings under 11 metres in England. This will be delivered through an extension of the Cladding Safety Scheme and administered by Homes England. This delivers on the commitment set out in the Remediation Acceleration Plan Update in July last year.

Funding will prioritise highrisk buildings with the most serious cladding fire safety defects. Following support for these cases, any remaining funding may be directed to other buildings where intervention would deliver the greatest benefit in reducing risk and supporting residents. Applications for funding are expected to open in August.

From autumn 2026, the National Remediation Database, delivered by Homes England, will provide a single view of remediation activity across relevant buildings, improving information sharing and supporting oversight across partner organisations.

Responsible Persons such as building owners remain responsible for ensuring a building is safe and life-critical defects are addressed.

In addition, today we are publishing the findings of the Remediation Programme Insurance Survey, which indicates that some leaseholders continue to face particularly high insurance costs despite progress in remediating building safety defects. The Financial Conduct Authority will work with MHCLG and HMT to undertake a short, focused review of the multi-occupancy buildings insurance market. The review will explore how insurers' pricing approaches for multiple occupancy buildings have changed since 2023, how firms are considering leaseholders' interests when assessing whether their products deliver fair value, and how fire safety remediation work and other related factors are being taken into account in insurers' risk assessments. It will also work with Association of British Insurers and MHCLG to assess the effectiveness of the Fire Safety Reinsurance Facility in increasing market capacity and reducing premiums.

Alongside this, we are publishing the government response to the single construction regulator prospectus consultation. The government welcomes the broad support for the Single Construction Regulator (SCR) from respondents. Our response to the consultation sets out the government's direction for the SCR, including our vision and ambition for the regulator, outcomes for the building system and the SCR's primary objective. It confirms our intention to bring forward primary legislation as the next step towards establishing the SCR, using the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) as its foundation.

Establishing the SCR will support a more effective, fair and coherent regulatory system that improves outcomes for residents and building users while providing greater clarity for industry.

The government continues to drive reform across the wider building safety system. Our objective is to ensure that the system established after the Grenfell Tower Fire tragedy is protecting residents, supporting responsible development and operating in a clear, proportionate and effective way.

As the new framework has matured, experience has shown where improvements can be made while maintaining the protections residents rightly expect. The reforms announced today will improve how the regime operates in practice while maintaining high standards of safety.

That begins with improving the proportionality of the higher-risk buildings regime. Robust oversight of safety critical work remains essential, but requirements must be targeted and efficient if they are to command confidence and support delivery. A proportionate regime is not a compromise on safety. It is essential to make sure regulatory effort and limited specialist resources are focused where they have the greatest positive impact on safety and efficiency. We are therefore publishing today the response to two consultations, on recategorising work in existing higher-risk buildings and on targeted dispensations from procedural requirements for telecommunications work in existing buildings, as well as launching a new consultation on the emergency repairs route.

Furthermore, the BSR will also introduce a revised approach to Building Assessment Certificates. This will provide an effective and proportionate, risk-based approach to managing occupied higher-risk buildings, with greater support for principal accountable persons, particularly resident-led organisations and those managing complex cases. The BSR will develop updated processes, prioritisation and guidance to help protect residents and leaseholders from unnecessary additional costs. The core duties established by the Building Safety Act will not change. Accountable persons must continue to manage their buildings effectively and take all reasonable steps to protect residents from fire spread and structural failure.

Taken together, this package of measures ensures the building safety framework remains focused on proportionate management of risk to be effective in operation and firmly centred on protecting residents.