Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Not Addressed
Millions of residents trapped in unsafe, unsellable flats face severe financial and emotional hardship
Conclusion
As many as 3 million people may have been affected by the cladding crisis. The NAO found that residents continue to suffer ongoing financial and emotional consequences. In its written evidence to us, End Our Cladding Scandal (EOCS) told us that the lives of thousands of ordinary people had been drastically altered through no fault of their own. It noted that everyone deserves a safe home in which to live, work, care for their families and make plans for their future, but that “hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in unsafe and unsellable flats, fighting years–long attritional battles just to know when their home will be made safe and whether it will bankrupt them”. It also told us that the PAS 9980 approach resulted in a range of issues, including “endless delays” to work starting due to disputes over the scope of the work and what constituted tolerable risk.38
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the observation but commits to providing annual written updates to the Committee on the overall progress of building remediation until Summer 2029. This response does not specifically address the severe financial and emotional impacts on residents or the issues noted with the PAS 9980 approach.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2025 The government will write to the Committee annually from Summer 2025, until Summer 2029 when, in alignment with the RAP, all 18m+ buildings with unsafe cladding in government-funded schemes will be remediated, and every 11m+ building will either be remediated, have a completion date, or landlords will face severe penalties.