Recommendation 20

Given that the introduction of the PAS 9980 will not result in the elimination of EWS1 forms, we remain concerned that uncertainty will remain about the safety of buildings and will continue to stymie those trying to sell their homes. We welcome the work being done with lenders to try to share information and reduce the demand for EWS1 forms. We also welcome the funding that has been provided to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to train assessors. However, we are concerned that these assessors are still in training and will not be able to undertake surveys for some time. This raises questions about how quickly the backlog of buildings requiring assessments can be cleared. Furthermore it is uncertain whether their work in respect of PAS 9980 assessments will be covered by the professional indemnity insurance scheme that has been established. In addition to the Secretary of State’s commitment to update us on the coverage of the professional indemnity insurance scheme, the Government must ensure that there is professional indemnity insurance cover for those conducting PAS 9980 assessments—whether as an extension of the scheme for external wall assessors or as a separate scheme. We ask the Government to monitor and report back to this Committee with its assessment of the impact of the introduction of PAS 9980 on the numbers of buildings that need to be inspected and remediated. We also ask the Government to report back to the Committee with its estimate of the number of currently qualified fire risk assessors and how this will increase in the coming months.