Written question asked by Steve Reed (Labour) on Friday, 14 December 2018, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 19 December 2018 (named day). It was answered by Kit Malthouse (Conservative) on Wednesday, 19 December 2018 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Buildings: Insulation

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department considered the safety implications of the production of toxic smoke in determining the scope of the ban on combustible materials.

Answer: The Government has used the European system for classifying the combustibility of materials to set the threshold for the ban on the use of combustible materials in the external walls of buildings covered by the ban. The European classification system measures smoke obscuration, though not toxicity. The ban requires that all materials which become part of an external wall or specified attachment achieve European Class A2-s1, d0 or Class A1, other than those covered by exemptions. This means that materials are classified by smoke production as well as combustibility and production of droplets. These classifications impose the maximum possible restriction on smoke production.

Secondary information