To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what comparative assessment his Department has made of shared ownership residents’ liability for building safety and cladding costs with the liability of the underlying owner of the shared equity lending for such costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what comparative assessment his Department has made of shared ownership residents’ liability for building safety and cladding costs with the liability of the underlying owner of the shared equity lending for such costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure leaseholders are not required to meet the costs of remediation works arising from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure leaseholders are not required to meet the costs of remediation works arising from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many small and medium-sized housebuilders face building safety remediation liabilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many small and medium-sized housebuilders face building safety remediation liabilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the impact of remediation liabilities on SME housebuilders’ ability to deliver new homes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the impact of remediation liabilities on SME housebuilders’ ability to deliver new homes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the impacts on first-time buyers of non-qualifying leaseholder status being tied to a property in perpetuity, in cases where a prior leaseholder owned multiple properties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the impacts on first-time buyers of non-qualifying leaseholder status being tied to a property in perpetuity, in cases where a prior leaseholder owned multiple properties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available to homeowners with incorrectly installed spray foam insulation through TrustMark-approved schemes outside the ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available to homeowners with incorrectly installed spray foam insulation through TrustMark-approved schemes outside the ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help improve public awareness of the risks associated with spray foam insulation, including the circumstances in which it may affect mortgage lending or insurance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help improve public awareness of the risks associated with spray foam insulation, including the circumstances in which it may affect mortgage lending or insurance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help protect homeowners from exploitative firms offering spray foam insulation removal services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to help protect homeowners from exploitative firms offering spray foam insulation removal services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what redress is available to homeowners whose spray foam insulation was incorrectly installed by TrustMark-approved companies that have since ceased trading.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what redress is available to homeowners whose spray foam insulation was incorrectly installed by TrustMark-approved companies that have since ceased trading.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has plans to strengthen standards relating to sound insulation in residential properties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has plans to strengthen standards relating to sound insulation in residential properties.

My Honourable Friend the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy (Samantha Dixon MBE MP) has today made the following statement:

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...

My Honourable Friend the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy (Samantha Dixon MBE MP) has today made the following statement:

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...

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...

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...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many homes had spray foam insulation installed under (a) the Green Homes Grant, (b) the ECO4 scheme and (c) the Great British Insulation Scheme; and of those, how many have been identified as having been incorrectly or...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many homes had spray foam insulation installed under (a) the Green Homes Grant, (b) the ECO4 scheme and (c) the Great British Insulation Scheme; and of those, how many have been identified as having been incorrectly or...

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of cladding remediation costs in buildings under 11 metres in height on leaseholders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of cladding remediation costs in buildings under 11 metres in height on leaseholders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the timeline is for his Department bringing forward proposals on remediation and support for homeowners adversely affected by incorrectly installed spray foam insulation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the timeline is for his Department bringing forward proposals on remediation and support for homeowners adversely affected by incorrectly installed spray foam insulation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that buildings which previously qualified for the Building Safety Fund and have since been transferred to the Cladding Safety Scheme are remediated in a timely manner; how many of those...

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that buildings which previously qualified for the Building Safety Fund and have since been transferred to the Cladding Safety Scheme are remediated in a timely manner; how many of those...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many properties in Fylde constituency have been identified as potentially requiring inspection under the Find and Fix programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many properties in Fylde constituency have been identified as potentially requiring inspection under the Find and Fix programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to speed up the remediation of non-cladding defects in residential buildings, including social housing stock.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to speed up the remediation of non-cladding defects in residential buildings, including social housing stock.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to introduce a Remediation Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to introduce a Remediation Bill.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason HMRC levies VAT on cladding repairs by social housing providers without counting them as costs of completing the original building work.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason HMRC levies VAT on cladding repairs by social housing providers without counting them as costs of completing the original building work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of VAT on cladding repairs on the overall cost of remediation for social housing providers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of VAT on cladding repairs on the overall cost of remediation for social housing providers.

My hon. Friend the Minister for Energy Consumers (Martin McCluskey) made the following Statement today:

We are acting today to restore consumer confidence in the energy sector and ensure that failures in government insulation schemes can never happen again.

The 2025 National Audit Office report into the failures of the ECO...

My hon. Friend the Minister for Energy Consumers (Martin McCluskey) made the following Statement today:

We are acting today to restore consumer confidence in the energy sector and ensure that failures in government insulation schemes can never happen again.

The 2025 National Audit Office report into the failures of the ECO...

We are acting today to restore consumer confidence in the energy sector and ensure that failures in government insulation schemes can never happen again.

The 2025 National Audit Office report into the failures of the ECO scheme gave a damning account of the failures of the ECO4 and GBIS schemes...

We are acting today to restore consumer confidence in the energy sector and ensure that failures in government insulation schemes can never happen again.

The 2025 National Audit Office report into the failures of the ECO scheme gave a damning account of the failures of the ECO4 and GBIS schemes...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the requirement to use an existing Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating to determine eligibility for insulation funding where that EPC was produced prior to the subsequent...

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the requirement to use an existing Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating to determine eligibility for insulation funding where that EPC was produced prior to the subsequent...

I know that my hon. Friend has been working hard to support his constituents in Newcastle-under-Lyme on these important issues. I am happy to meet him, but let me also reassure him that work to improve the performance of the Building Safety Regulator is ongoing and is bearing fruit.

I know that my hon. Friend has been working hard to support his constituents in Newcastle-under-Lyme on these important issues. I am happy to meet him, but let me also reassure him that work to improve the performance of the Building Safety Regulator is ongoing and is bearing fruit.

Leaseholders at Southend’s Meridien Point are trapped in an unbearable financial situation, as a result of an internal defects bill of £3 million, and a £450,000 fight against the building developer. Their block is 18 metres in height, and they are not entitled to funding for the support that they desperately need. They have been offered just £50,000 towards their legal fees by Homes England. How can we look at existing funding criteria for mid-rise buildings, and encourage Homes England to fully support leaseholders in taking on well-resourced developers?

Leaseholders at Southend’s Meridien Point are trapped in an unbearable financial situation, as a result of an internal defects bill of £3 million, and a £450,000 fight against the building developer. Their block is 18 metres in height, and they are not entitled to funding for the support that they desperately need. They have been offered just £50,000 towards their legal fees by Homes England. How can we look at existing funding criteria for mid-rise buildings, and encourage Homes England to fully support leaseholders in taking on well-resourced developers?

Buildings between 11 and 18 metres may be able to enter the cladding safety scheme, but I am happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this matter further.

Buildings between 11 and 18 metres may be able to enter the cladding safety scheme, but I am happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this matter further.

In 2022, my constituents at No. 1 London Road in Newcastle-under-Lyme were told that urgent action was needed due to fire safety concerns over the building’s cladding. It is now 2026 and, four years later, that urgent action is yet to begin. Can the Minister set out what steps she will take to ensure that the Building Safety Regulator functions effectively and does not create greater risk through significant delays—delays that have a huge impact on those directly impacted in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across the country?

In 2022, my constituents at No. 1 London Road in Newcastle-under-Lyme were told that urgent action was needed due to fire safety concerns over the building’s cladding. It is now 2026 and, four years later, that urgent action is yet to begin. Can the Minister set out what steps she will take to ensure that the Building Safety Regulator functions effectively and does not create greater risk through significant delays—delays that have a huge impact on those directly impacted in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across the country?

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to incentivise people to insulate their homes; and if he will set out the support available to help people cover these costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to incentivise people to insulate their homes; and if he will set out the support available to help people cover these costs.

Motion, That this House has considered energy costs. Agreed to on question.

Motion, That this House has considered energy costs. Agreed to on question.

I beg to move,

That this House has considered energy costs.

It is a pleasure to serve with you chairing, Ms McVey, and I am grateful to colleagues who are here today. This is my first speech in Westminster Hall, and we all have a lot to say on this issue, so...

I beg to move,

That this House has considered energy costs.

It is a pleasure to serve with you chairing, Ms McVey, and I am grateful to colleagues who are here today. This is my first speech in Westminster Hall, and we all have a lot to say on this issue, so...

First of all, I commend the hon. Lady: in her short time here, she has made a name for herself as someone who speaks on behalf of her constituents, so well done. Power NI supplies 60% of Northern Ireland homes—a 6.2% increase—and charges £1,093 for credit meters and £1,065 for...

First of all, I commend the hon. Lady: in her short time here, she has made a name for herself as someone who speaks on behalf of her constituents, so well done. Power NI supplies 60% of Northern Ireland homes—a 6.2% increase—and charges £1,093 for credit meters and £1,065 for...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments, and I agree that we have to do something to tackle this immediately.

Before I became an MP, I was a plumber. I spent my days going into people’s homes, and on so many occasions I saw the problem right in front of...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments, and I agree that we have to do something to tackle this immediately.

Before I became an MP, I was a plumber. I spent my days going into people’s homes, and on so many occasions I saw the problem right in front of...

On that point, will the hon. Member give way?

On that point, will the hon. Member give way?

I will continue, if that is okay.

Bills have gone up by 79% since the energy crisis began in 2020. That is an extra £5,000, when our constituents’ hard-earned wages are already stretched to breaking point. Yet, from 1 July our constituents face another increase, of £221, when the next Ofgem...

I will continue, if that is okay.

Bills have gone up by 79% since the energy crisis began in 2020. That is an extra £5,000, when our constituents’ hard-earned wages are already stretched to breaking point. Yet, from 1 July our constituents face another increase, of £221, when the next Ofgem...

Will the hon. lady give way?

Will the hon. lady give way?

I am going to continue.

Fourthly and finally, we must go further and faster on renewables. New fossil fuel extraction will not bring down bills or improve the UK’s energy security—a fact I know the Minister agrees with. Since the start of the war in Iran, wind and solar have saved...

I am going to continue.

Fourthly and finally, we must go further and faster on renewables. New fossil fuel extraction will not bring down bills or improve the UK’s energy security—a fact I know the Minister agrees with. Since the start of the war in Iran, wind and solar have saved...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

Will the hon. Lady give way?

I am just about to finish.

If we do not do something, this issue will keep happening. We need to act—not in the interests of fossil fuel giants, but in the interests of the very people who sent us to this place to make their lives more liveable.

11.9 am

I am just about to finish.

If we do not do something, this issue will keep happening. We need to act—not in the interests of fossil fuel giants, but in the interests of the very people who sent us to this place to make their lives more liveable.

11.9 am

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms McVey. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Gorton and Denton (Hannah Spencer) for securing the debate, and I congratulate her on her first Westminster Hall debate and on giving hon. Members across the Chamber the opportunity to discuss...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms McVey. I am grateful to the hon. Member for Gorton and Denton (Hannah Spencer) for securing the debate, and I congratulate her on her first Westminster Hall debate and on giving hon. Members across the Chamber the opportunity to discuss...

Is it not totally outrageous that energy giants will make billions in extra profits from Trump’s war on Iran while ordinary people are hit with higher costs? Does the Minister agree that we should introduce an emergency war profits tax to ensure that they cannot make a single extra penny...

Is it not totally outrageous that energy giants will make billions in extra profits from Trump’s war on Iran while ordinary people are hit with higher costs? Does the Minister agree that we should introduce an emergency war profits tax to ensure that they cannot make a single extra penny...

My hon. Friend will know that decisions about tax are for the Chancellor. We already have the windfall tax on energy profits in place—a tax opposed by the SNP and the Conservative Opposition.

I will turn to the points raised by the hon. Member for Gorton and Denton and my hon....

My hon. Friend will know that decisions about tax are for the Chancellor. We already have the windfall tax on energy profits in place—a tax opposed by the SNP and the Conservative Opposition.

I will turn to the points raised by the hon. Member for Gorton and Denton and my hon....

It is good to hear the Government’s intention to reduce energy prices. The hon. Member for Gorton and Denton (Hannah Spencer) is right to call for more affordable energy. In France, electricity is about a third cheaper than it is here, with nuclear at the heart of the system. Does...

It is good to hear the Government’s intention to reduce energy prices. The hon. Member for Gorton and Denton (Hannah Spencer) is right to call for more affordable energy. In France, electricity is about a third cheaper than it is here, with nuclear at the heart of the system. Does...

I join the hon. Lady in those calls on nuclear energy, which is essential to our energy mix. She highlighted the example of France; one reason why its electricity cost is so low is that it carried on building nuclear through the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Unlike this country,...

I join the hon. Lady in those calls on nuclear energy, which is essential to our energy mix. She highlighted the example of France; one reason why its electricity cost is so low is that it carried on building nuclear through the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Unlike this country,...

The Minister is making a powerful point about the investments that the Government are making in green and clean energy. In Macclesfield, families are suffering from high energy costs at the pumps or in making sure that their homes are warm when they need to be. Does he agree that...

The Minister is making a powerful point about the investments that the Government are making in green and clean energy. In Macclesfield, families are suffering from high energy costs at the pumps or in making sure that their homes are warm when they need to be. Does he agree that...

My hon. Friend is a champion for his constituents. He is making the argument not just for lower prices at the pump and lower costs of energy, but for doing that in a clean, green way. Those two things do go hand in hand; we can reduce energy and fuel...

My hon. Friend is a champion for his constituents. He is making the argument not just for lower prices at the pump and lower costs of energy, but for doing that in a clean, green way. Those two things do go hand in hand; we can reduce energy and fuel...

We are waiting for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to come up with the results of the community benefit consultation. The highlands only got £9 million of community benefit last year, and Scotland as a whole got less than £30 million. There are tens of thousands of...

We are waiting for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to come up with the results of the community benefit consultation. The highlands only got £9 million of community benefit last year, and Scotland as a whole got less than £30 million. There are tens of thousands of...

The hon. Member makes a powerful point. We will come forward with the response on community benefits soon. I point him towards what we have already announced regarding a trial of free wind power for communities close to generation, which will be coming later this year. His point about workforce...

The hon. Member makes a powerful point. We will come forward with the response on community benefits soon. I point him towards what we have already announced regarding a trial of free wind power for communities close to generation, which will be coming later this year. His point about workforce...

The hon. Member for Gorton and Denton (Hannah Spencer) referred to retrofitting in her speech, and the Minister has talked about its importance. In Northampton, one of the biggest concerns people have about committing to retrofit is getting a dodgy builder. The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee recognise that,...

The hon. Member for Gorton and Denton (Hannah Spencer) referred to retrofitting in her speech, and the Minister has talked about its importance. In Northampton, one of the biggest concerns people have about committing to retrofit is getting a dodgy builder. The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee recognise that,...

My hon. Friend makes a really important point. We are coming forward soon with our proposals for consumer protection. I have said before in this Chamber that the first thing that landed on my desk, when I came into this role in September, was the NAO’s report into the previous...

My hon. Friend makes a really important point. We are coming forward soon with our proposals for consumer protection. I have said before in this Chamber that the first thing that landed on my desk, when I came into this role in September, was the NAO’s report into the previous...

My Lords, it is an honour to follow the noble Lord, Lord Roe of West Wickham, whom we know has unparalleled expertise of not just the regulator but the service, in defence of safety and security in London. I declare that I am a member of the Industry and Regulators...

My Lords, it is an honour to follow the noble Lord, Lord Roe of West Wickham, whom we know has unparalleled expertise of not just the regulator but the service, in defence of safety and security in London. I declare that I am a member of the Industry and Regulators...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lady Taylor of Bolton on her comprehensive and forensic introduction to this report. I wanted to speak in this debate because the role of the regulator is crucial in delivering the Government’s aim of urgently building more homes and in resolving one of...

My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lady Taylor of Bolton on her comprehensive and forensic introduction to this report. I wanted to speak in this debate because the role of the regulator is crucial in delivering the Government’s aim of urgently building more homes and in resolving one of...

My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of H4Life and as a partner in Quoin Partners, which represents the building development industry. I very much welcome this report; it is really an excellent piece of work. I also welcome the Government’s initial response to the report. I welcome, too,...

My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of H4Life and as a partner in Quoin Partners, which represents the building development industry. I very much welcome this report; it is really an excellent piece of work. I also welcome the Government’s initial response to the report. I welcome, too,...

My Lords, I declare my interest as a councillor in central Bedfordshire. It is a delight to follow so many excellent speakers, such as not only the noble Lord, Lord Roe, but the noble Lord, Lord John, given his experience of Southwark. I also give my thanks to the committee...

My Lords, I declare my interest as a councillor in central Bedfordshire. It is a delight to follow so many excellent speakers, such as not only the noble Lord, Lord Roe, but the noble Lord, Lord John, given his experience of Southwark. I also give my thanks to the committee...

My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend Lady Taylor of Bolton, not just for forwarding my mail when we get sent each other’s mail but for securing such an important debate and for what my noble friend Lady Warwick described as a comprehensive and forensic introduction. I...

My Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend Lady Taylor of Bolton, not just for forwarding my mail when we get sent each other’s mail but for securing such an important debate and for what my noble friend Lady Warwick described as a comprehensive and forensic introduction. I...

My Lords, I said at the beginning that there was a wealth of experience in this Room; the speeches that we have heard this afternoon prove that. Every individual person has added their own insight into the nature of the problems that we are talking about, which has been extremely...

My Lords, I said at the beginning that there was a wealth of experience in this Room; the speeches that we have heard this afternoon prove that. Every individual person has added their own insight into the nature of the problems that we are talking about, which has been extremely...

Lords motion to take note of the second report of the Industry and Regulators Committee on The Building Safety Regulator: Building a Better Regulator (HL 225 2024-26). Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to take note of the second report of the Industry and Regulators Committee on The Building Safety Regulator: Building a Better Regulator (HL 225 2024-26). Agreed to on question.

My Lords, I am pleased to introduce this debate on the report The Building Safety Regulator: Building a Better Regulator, which was published by the Industry and Regulators Committee in early December. As is often the case, we have to wait some time for these debates, but the issues that...

My Lords, I am pleased to introduce this debate on the report The Building Safety Regulator: Building a Better Regulator, which was published by the Industry and Regulators Committee in early December. As is often the case, we have to wait some time for these debates, but the issues that...

My Lords, it is an honour to follow our erstwhile chair of the Industry and Regulators Committee. I begin by declaring my interest as a member of that committee.

I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Bolton, for her excellent chairing of both the committee as a whole and this...

My Lords, it is an honour to follow our erstwhile chair of the Industry and Regulators Committee. I begin by declaring my interest as a member of that committee.

I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Bolton, for her excellent chairing of both the committee as a whole and this...

My Lords, I too was delighted to be a member of the Industry and Regulators Committee that produced this report. I also thank the clerk and the team who looked after us. They did an absolutely brilliant job. What we discovered six months ago has been brilliantly explained by our...

My Lords, I too was delighted to be a member of the Industry and Regulators Committee that produced this report. I also thank the clerk and the team who looked after us. They did an absolutely brilliant job. What we discovered six months ago has been brilliantly explained by our...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Bolton, for the opportunity to speak in this debate and for the invaluable work of the committee when she was its chair. I say that on behalf of the regulator; I declare an interest as its chair. The report was...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Bolton, for the opportunity to speak in this debate and for the invaluable work of the committee when she was its chair. I say that on behalf of the regulator; I declare an interest as its chair. The report was...

Last September, I met the Minister for Energy Consumers, the hon. Member for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West (Martin McCluskey), to discuss those who have been adversely impacted by incorrectly installed spray foam insulation. Has the Department considered remediation or support for those affected?

Last September, I met the Minister for Energy Consumers, the hon. Member for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West (Martin McCluskey), to discuss those who have been adversely impacted by incorrectly installed spray foam insulation. Has the Department considered remediation or support for those affected?