Written question WQ88595
- Asked by
- Rhys ab OwenIndependent
- To be answered by
- Minister for Climate Change
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 11 days
Question
Following the statement on the 4 July 2023, when is the guidance from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Welsh Government for lenders on mortgages for properties with fire-safety concerns due to be published?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Climate Change
All developers who have signed our contract are engaging with us and have returned their workplans.
Our contract includes the requirement for the Welsh Government to monitor progress. Should developers fail to meet the terms agreed in their contract, including failure to provide workplans and timescales, the necessary legal steps to address this will be undertaken.
Our contract also sets out the standards to be adopted in respect to works. This includes the requirements for a PAS 9980 standard to be adopted, which is relevant to those buildings with external wall systems (cladding) present.
Where the developer is undertaking the works as part of our contract, they will need to undertake the PAS 9980 assessment and any other necessary assessment works to develop their remediation plans.
The Welsh Government has already paid for survey work to take place. In addition, the contract sets out developer obligations to undertake any further assessment work at their own cost.
Persimmon have reimbursed some leaseholders for costs incurred as a result of fire safety issues. I also understand other developers we are engaging with, such as Westmark, have also confirmed they have reimbursed costs. I have encouraged other developers to follow this example.