MPs launch inquiry into Gove’s £4bn cladding plan
A cross-party group of MPs has launched an inquiry into levelling up secretary Michael Gove’s plans for developers to foot a £4bn cladding bill.
The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee said it will “examine the effectiveness” of plans to make the industry pay for cladding remediation.
Last week, speaking in the House of Commons, Gove said: “To those who mis-sold dangerous products, such as cladding or insulation, to those who cut corners to save cash as they developed or refurbished homes, and to those who sought to profiteer from the consequences of the Grenfell tragedy: we are coming for you.”
A cross-party group of MPs has launched an inquiry into levelling up secretary Michael Gove’s plans for developers to foot a £4bn cladding bill.
The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee said it will “examine the effectiveness” of plans to make the industry pay for cladding remediation.
Last week, speaking in the House of Commons, Gove said: “To those who mis-sold dangerous products, such as cladding or insulation, to those who cut corners to save cash as they developed or refurbished homes, and to those who sought to profiteer from the consequences of the Grenfell tragedy: we are coming for you.”
In an open letter to the industry, Gove called on developers to publicly commit to “a new deal”, with a deadline of early March.
He has demanded that developers pay for and undertake all remediation on buildings over 11m in which they have played a role and provide comprehensive information on all buildings with historic fire safety defects over the last 30 years.
In the letter, Gove said: “I am prepared to take all steps necessary to make this happen, including restricting access to government funding and future procurements, the use of planning powers, the pursuit of companies through the courts and – if the industry fails to take responsibility in the way that I have set out – the imposition of a solution in law if needs be.”
The new inquiry will take evidence from a range of stakeholders, seeking to unpick the industry’s response, potential impacts, the effect on affordable housing and what more could be done to meet these costs.
The final closing date for written submissions is 16 February, with public evidence sessions also seeking to question a government minister. It aims to conclude ahead of Gove’s planned report back to the House of Commons before Easter.
Clive Betts, chair of the LUHC committee, said: “We wish to scrutinise whether the secretary of state’s approach goes far enough to finally fix this crisis and examine what the funding arrangement to be agreed with industry should look like.
“We will also want to examine the risk to the department’s budget, particularly around social housing, if it is not able to secure sufficient funds from industry.”
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Photo: gov.uk/DLUHC
