Written question WQ85660

I have set Statutory Regulatory Standards which all registered social landlords must meet. One of those standards (RS3a) requires registered social landlords to keep tenants safe in their homes and promptly identify and correct any under-performance or non-compliance on landlord health and safety matters. Registered Social Landlords compliance with health and safety requirements including Fire Risk Assessments is monitored as part of routine regulatory oversight and assessment.

All landlords in Wales must carry out suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks of fire in properties they own or manage and must act on the findings. Enforcing these requirements is the responsibility of the Fire and Rescue Service.

In the case of medium and high-rise buildings, I have made £375 million available over the next three years to fund remediation of building safety issues in multi-occupied residential buildings of 11 metres and taller. These are buildings with existing defects within both the private and social sector. This work will go beyond cladding and take a holistic approach to remediation, including compartmentation and fire suppression systems.

The available budget has allowed Welsh Ministers to exercise their powers to support the social sector by means of the Capital Grant for medium and high-rise buildings, both public and social sector by means of the Welsh Building Safety Fund, and the private sector by the development of a Leaseholder Support Scheme, and further by the establishment of a Joint inspection Team.

The Capital Grant assists Registered Social Landlords and Local Authorities that hold housing stock to achieve, amongst other things, remediation projects including compartmentation, fire suppression systems and evacuation alert systems.