Written question WQ89171

The Developer contract defines a life-critical fire safety issue as:

‘Any fire-safety risk (either alone or in conjunction with any other fire safety risk) that any Fire Safety Assessment or Fire Risk Assessment of the External Wall determines is not tolerable, irrespective of how this is expressed, will be deemed to be a life-critical fire-safety risk.’

Developers are not responsible for imposing service charges.

Developers have signed contracts that commit them to undertake works to address fire safety issues, as defined in the contract, at their own cost. The contracts also set out requirements for engagement with the Responsible Person to provide updates on when the works will commence and progress of these works. A formal monitoring regime is in place and developers are required to demonstrate their progress against the contract and will be held to account should any breach of the contract terms occur.

Earlier this year, I announced the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors had agreed to extend their guidance to valuers to apply to both England and Wales.

This will provide valuers an indication of building status and help support the removal of barriers to enable mortgage valuations of flats in affected blocks.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors are in their final stages of completing the review of the guidance, and my officials are in communication with them to ensure the guidance can be published at the earliest opportunity.