Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Rejected
Uncertainty remains regarding dangerous cladding remediation scope, costs, and completion timelines.
Conclusion
Eight years on from Grenfell, we are concerned that MHCLG still does not know how many buildings have dangerous cladding, how much it will cost to address, or how long it will take. MHCLG’s latest estimate, that 9,000 to 12,000 buildings will need remediating at a total cost of between £12.6 billion and £22.4 billion, is very broad given the length of time that has passed since Grenfell and is now more than a year old. MHCLG asserts that it is working to narrow the range, but promised six–monthly updates have not materialised. This level of uncertainty means that MHCLG cannot know if it is on track to achieve value for money for residents and the taxpayer. PAS 9980, leaves too much open to interpretation and is resulting in disagreements over the extent of remediation required. Meanwhile, MHCLG’s data on the unit costs of remediation is based on the costs of remediating high–rise buildings under the more risk–averse standard pre–dating PAS
Government Response Summary
The government disagrees with the implied recommendation from the conclusion, stating it is consulting on redress routes as part of the Construction Products Reform Green Paper and that leaseholders and tenants are protected from cladding remediation costs.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. The government is currently consulting on redress routes as part of the Construction Products Reform Green Paper. Moreover, leaseholders and tenants are protected from the cost of cladding remediation, which is covered either by government remediation schemes or by developers under the government's remediation contract.