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Information commissioner calls on landlords to publish fire risk assessments
Councils should publish the fire risk assessments for their housing “in full”, the information commissioner has said.
A recent Inside Housing investigation into tower block fire risk assessments uncovered fire safety issues across 436 tower blocks owned by 36 councils and ALMOs and seven housing associations.
However, a substantial number of landlords refused to share their assessments even when they were sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
In response to a letter from Sian Berry, Green Party London Assembly member, information commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: “I will write to representative organisations of local government and other public authorities to make clear my belief that information should be proactively released where possible.”
The commissioner also said there is a “significant gap in the public’s right to know” because housing associations are not subject to the FOIA, and she will “address this issue in my forthcoming report to parliament about extending the reach of FOI legislation”.
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The Information Commissioner’s Office said councils should “proactively” publish fire risk assessments, rather than waiting for an FOIA request.
It is now considering whether to update its requirements on councils to include a requirement to proactively publish fire risk assessments.
Ms Berry has struggled to get hold of fire risk assessments for tower blocks in Camden, her local constituency.
She said: “This is a victory for residents across the country. People everywhere need to be able to see what information is held about their safety at home and what action is being taken to improve it.
“I know how difficult it can be to get information from councils on fire safety. Tenants shouldn’t be forced to argue, fill in forms and appeal just to get basic information about the safety of their homes.”
