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Changes to building regulations are needed, says minister
Sajid Javid has admitted there will need to be changes to building regulations as the tests of 181 tower blocks’ cladding revealed a continued 100% failure rate.
In a debate in parliament Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick, who sits on the All Party Parliamentary Group for Fire Safety and Rescue, said the coroner of the Lakanal House fire recommended a review of the guidance on the building regulations relating to fire safety four years ago and pointed out it has been 11 years since the guidance was last reviewed.
He asked if the government’s independent fire safety panel has the power to recommend a recall of the building regulations working panel “so that this work can begin now rather than wait till the end of the public inquiry”.
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Mr Javid replied: “The honourable gentleman makes an important point about building regulations and guidance. It’s already very clear to us all that there will need to be changes, we do need to look at the causes and the fact that so many buildings are failing the test.”
However, he added it will be in the “longer term” that the government will set out “how we intend to tackle the much wider review that I think is going to be necessary.”
The government has faced severe criticism from fire safety experts for failing to review the buildings regulations guidance following the Lakanal House fire where six people died.
Successive ministers have delayed the review and new housing minister Alok Sharma recently admitted the review was “almost ready” to begin four years after the coroner made her recommendation.
Mr Javid also revealed the government’s initial estimate that 600 tower blocks in England have cladding has now been revised down to 530.
