The Government estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Green Homes Grant (GHG) schemes, external wall insulation measures have been installed in the following wards in Denton and Reddish: Reddish North, Audenshaw and Denton South.

The ward in Denton and Reddish with the highest number of energy efficient measures installed is Dukinfield. The order from highest to lowest is as follows:

1. Dukinfield;
2. Denton South;
3. Reddish South;
4. Audenshaw;
5. Reddish North;
6. Denton North East;
7. Denton West.

The 2019 Conservative Manifesto committed to a £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) over a 10-year period. SHDF Wave 1 awarded around £179m of grant funding, delivering from 2022 into 2023, of which £10.4m was awarded to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to retrofit 1,280 homes, including homes in Denton and Reddish. The SHDF Wave 2.1 competition, which closed on 18th November 2022, will allocate up to £800m of grant funding, with successful projects likely to be notified in March 2023.

We have not conducted an economic assessment. However, we do recognise the financial pressures being placed on leaseholders as a result of historic remediation costs.

We have been clear that building owners and industry should make buildings safe without passing on costs to leaseholders – and where they have not stepped up, we have stepped in. The Government is taking the following steps to ease these pressures:

• In relation to removal and replacement of unsafe cladding systems, we are providing over £5 billion of Government grant funding for the removal of unsafe cladding systems from buildings of 18m and above, and a generous finance scheme (under which no leaseholder will need to pay more than £50 per month) for the removal of unsafe cladding systems from buildings of 11-18m in height.
• As part of our Building Safety Fund funding for remediation of unsafe cladding systems, the Government is providing full funding for the replacement of combustible insulation and missing or defective cavity barriers where these form part of the external wall system.
• In relation to insurance premia we recognise that some leaseholders in high rise buildings are facing rises in buildings insurance. Officials, leaseholders, the ABI and British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) have met to discuss buildings insurance. The Government is working with industry and looking at a range of options.
• In relation to waking watch costs, the Government has announced a £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund, to promote replacement of costly Waking Watch interim safety measures with fire alarms. This is consistent with guidance from the National Fire Chiefs Council published in 2019, which emphasises the need to consider installation of common fire alarms where measures are now, or are likely to be in place for the longer term: https://www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/Simultaneous-evacuation-guidance

I refer the Hon Member to my response to Questions UIN 166341 and UIN 166342 on 15 March 2021.

It is not possible to make such assessments. This is because the degree to which any fire safety issues require remedial action that impose costs on leaseholders, will depend on a professional fire risk assessment of individual buildings and the extent to which costs may be met by or recovered from developers, contractors or building warranties. In addition, we are unable to assess the potentially wide range of individual factors (such as job security, levels of mortgage commitment and personal circumstances) which could lead to people either losing their home or declaring bankruptcy due to additional costs.

However, we do recognise the financial pressures being placed on leaseholders through no fault of their own as a result of historic remediation costs. We have been clear that building owners and industry should make buildings safe without passing on costs to leaseholders – and where they have not stepped up, we have stepped in.

The Government is taking the following steps to ease these pressures:

• In relation to the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding, we are providing over £5 billion of Government grant funding for the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings of 18 metres and above, and a low interest finance scheme (under which no leaseholder will need to pay more than £50 per calendar month) for the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings of 11-18 metres in height.
• As part of our funding for remediation of unsafe cladding, the Government is providing full funding for the replacement of combustible insulation and missing or defective cavity barriers where these form part of an unsafe cladding system.
• In relation to insurance premia we recognise that some leaseholders in high rise buildings are facing rises in buildings insurance. Officials, leaseholders, the ABI and British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) have met to discuss buildings insurance. Government is working with industry and looking at a range of options.
• In relation to waking watch costs, the Government has announced a £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund, to promote replacement of costly Waking Watch interim safety measures with fire alarms, which the National Fire Chiefs Council have confirmed are both safer and cost effective.

It is not possible to make such assessments. This is because the degree to which any fire safety issues require remedial action that impose costs on leaseholders, will depend on a professional fire risk assessment of individual buildings and the extent to which costs may be met by or recovered from developers, contractors or building warranties. In addition, we are unable to assess the potentially wide range of individual factors (such as job security, levels of mortgage commitment and personal circumstances) which could lead to people either losing their home or declaring bankruptcy due to additional costs.

However, we do recognise the financial pressures being placed on leaseholders through no fault of their own as a result of historic remediation costs. We have been clear that building owners and industry should make buildings safe without passing on costs to leaseholders – and where they have not stepped up, we have stepped in.

The Government is taking the following steps to ease these pressures:

• In relation to the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding, we are providing over £5 billion of Government grant funding for the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings of 18 metres and above, and a low interest finance scheme (under which no leaseholder will need to pay more than £50 per calendar month) for the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings of 11-18 metres in height.
• As part of our funding for remediation of unsafe cladding, the Government is providing full funding for the replacement of combustible insulation and missing or defective cavity barriers where these form part of an unsafe cladding system.
• In relation to insurance premia we recognise that some leaseholders in high rise buildings are facing rises in buildings insurance. Officials, leaseholders, the ABI and British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) have met to discuss buildings insurance. Government is working with industry and looking at a range of options.
• In relation to waking watch costs, the Government has announced a £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund, to promote replacement of costly Waking Watch interim safety measures with fire alarms, which the National Fire Chiefs Council have confirmed are both safer and cost effective.

The information requested is not held.

The Government has announced over £5 billion in grant funding towards the removal of unsafe cladding on buildings over 18 metres in height. This unprecedented investment in building safety will help hundreds of thousands of leaseholders, who will be protected from the cost of replacing unsafe cladding on their homes. Alongside this a generous finance scheme will also provide for remediation of unsafe cladding on buildings of 11-18 metres in height. Leaseholders will pay no more than £50 a month towards this scheme. We will publish more details on how these schemes will work soon.

These schemes will also ultimately help to end interim measures and reduce building insurance costs. They build on steps already taken to support leaseholders, including the £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund to incentivise the purchase of alarm systems in buildings where there is currently a waking watch in place and there is no common alarm system.

The information requested is not held.

The Government has announced over £5 billion in grant towards removal of unsafe cladding on buildings over 18 metres in height. This unprecedented investment in building safety will help hundreds of thousands of leaseholders, who will be protected from the cost of replacing unsafe cladding on their homes

Alongside this a generous finance scheme will also provide for remediation of unsafe cladding on buildings of 11-18 metres in height. Leaseholders will pay no more than £50 a month towards this scheme. We will publish more details on how these schemes will work as soon as we are in a position to do so.

These schemes will also ultimately help to end interim measures and reduce building insurance costs. They build on steps already taken to support leaseholders, including the £30 million waking watch fund to incentivise the purchase of alarm systems in buildings where there is currently a waking watch in place and there is no common alarm system.

We recognise the difficult situation which many leaseholders have found themselves in, and the emotional strain which this has placed on many.

I continue to engage with Cabinet colleagues on these important issues, including those from DHSC.

As a result, where building owners have failed to step up, the Government has stepped in. On 10 February, the Secretary of State announced a comprehensive five-point plan which will provide for the removal of dangerous cladding in both high-rise buildings of 18 metres and above and medium-rise buildings of 11-18 metres. For high-rise buildings there will be £3.5 billion of grant funding in addition to the £1.6 billion already provided by Government, and for medium-rise buildings a generous financing scheme for cladding removal under which no leaseholder will have to pay more than £50 per month. There will also be a levy and tax on developers, recognising that the industry that caused this legacy of unsafe cladding must make a contribution to setting things right.

This is a globally unprecedented investment in building safety and hundreds of thousands of leaseholders will be protected from the cost of replacing unsafe cladding on their homes. The Government has rightly targeted funding at the removal of dangerous cladding to make homes safer, quicker – the costs for remediating this are high, and the risks posed by it are also high.

Our approach prioritises action on buildings 18 metres and above, where risk to multiple households is greater when fire does spread. This is in line with longstanding expert advice on which buildings are at the highest risk.

We have gone further, and through an additional package we will provide a financing scheme for the remediation of dangerous cladding for to support remediation of buildings of between 11 and 18 metres in height. As part of this financing scheme, leaseholder payments towards remediation costs will be capped at a maximum £50 per month.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) continues to work with wider industry, including lenders, on new guidance for surveyors which should make clearer the circumstances when EWS1 valuations are, and are not, to be requested.

The RICS consultation ends on 25 January 2021: https://www.rics.org/uk/surveying-profession/contribute/consultations/valuation-of-properties-in-multi-storey-multi-occupancy-residential-buildings-with-cladding-1st-edition-guidance-note/ .

This information is not held. The consolidated advice note is non-statutory advice for building owners about the actions they should take to ensure their buildings are safe.

To tackle the most urgent building safety problems, we have made available £1.6 billion to remove unsafe cladding systems and appointed expert construction consultants to review ACM remediation timescales and to work to increase pace.  There should be no excuse for delay.

Applicants to the Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund (PSCRF) and Building Safety Fund (BSF) are required to demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to recover the costs of replacing the unsafe cladding from those responsible.

At the application stage, we ask for information regarding such steps and may seek further information to satisfy ourselves of this position.

Where Applicants do successfully recover damages relating to the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding, the Government will expect Applicants to pay Government any amounts recovered which are referable to the removal of the unsafe cladding up to the amount of funding provided (minus any reasonable legal costs which have been incurred through pursuing cost recovery referable to the unsafe cladding).

MHCLG does not rule out seeking an assignment of relevant rights of action where it would be appropriate to do so.

The Department has seen the RICS draft guidance note, currently out for consultation, and are considering its potential implications. We await the results of the consultation which will help to make clearer the circumstances when EWS1 valuations are, and are not, to be requested.

RICS have agreed that buildings without cladding do not need an EWS1 form. RICS are consulting on guidance for valuers, and Government has regular discussions with RICS about the issues associated with EWS1.

The Department has regular discussions with RICS, who plan to publish draft guidance for public consultation in 2021.

The RICS EWS1 process was designed to assist with valuation of high-rise residential buildings where cladding may be a concern. While there is still work to be done to provide consumers and leaseholders with the clarity they need, we have come to an agreement with RICS that flats in blocks without cladding do not need an EWS1 form, and I await the refreshed RICS EWS1 guidance with interest.

There are no plans to make such an estimate at present. We have been clear that we do not believe that buildings three storeys and under should fall in to the RICS EWS1 process. RICS is working with wider industry, including lenders, on new guidance for surveyors which will make clearer the circumstances when EWS1 valuations are, and are not, to be requested.

The Department has no plans to amend ‘Advice for Building Owners of Multi-Storey, Multi-Occupied Residential Buildings’ as published in January 2020.

The EWS1 process is not a Government or regulatory requirement. Whether an EWS1 is needed is determined by lenders and the professionals valuing a building - not all lenders ask for an EWS1. The Department has come to an agreement with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) that flats in blocks without cladding do not need an EWS1 form. Buildings under 18m should not fall into the EWS1 process, unless in exceptional circumstances – usually relating to the proportion of cladding on the building. The Department has not made an estimate of the number of buildings of three storeys or fewer that have been brought into the current EWS1 process. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is working with wider industry, including lenders, on new guidance for surveyors which will make clearer the circumstances when EWS1 valuation forms are, and are not, to be requested.