fire safety – Page 2 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Bristol asks about progress of schemes to protect leaseholders affected by defective cladding

The Bishop of Bristol asked a question on the progress of a low interest pilot scheme for leaseholders in buildings with defective cladding during a debate on building safety on 28th October 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Bristol: Can the Minister update the House on the progress of the capped low-interest scheme for buildings with defective cladding under 18 metres? Can he clarify whether a pilot scheme will, as previously hoped, be functional by the end of the year?

Bishop of St Albans asks about fire safety and prevention in residential buildings

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answers on 28th June 2021:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to give residents, tenants and leaseholders the right to access their building’s fire risk assessment.

Lord Greenhalgh (Con): The Building Safety Bill seeks to provide residents, tenants and leaseholders of high rise buildings with further and more detailed information about the safety measures in their building upon request. This information may include full, current and historical fire risk assessments: further detail will be set out in due course.

Bishop of Blackburn asks Government about fire safety costs for leaseholders

On 24th May 2021 the Bishop of Blackburn asked a question on behalf of the Bishop of St Albans, on fire safety costs for leaseholders.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the (1) current, and (2) future, incidence of leaseholder bankruptcies attributable to remedial fire safety works and interim fire safety costs.

The Lord Bishop of Blackburn: My Lords, on behalf of my right reverend colleague, I ask the Question standing in his name on the Order Paper.

Bishop of St Albans asks Government to make developers pay to remedy work not meeting fire safety standards

On 12th May 2021 the House of Lords questioned Government on fire safety and cladding, following a recent fire in east London.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans [V]: My Lords, the Government have said that it is not right for the taxpayer to bail out leaseholders, but taxpayers’ money through the building safety fund could be bailing out developers for building substandard developments. What plan do the Government have to investigate whether developments met fire safety regulations at the time of construction and, in those cases where regulations were not met, to apportion remedial liability to the developers, so that those responsible actually pay?

Votes: Fire Safety Bill

On 28th April 2021, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Fire Safety Bill. Votes were held on further amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part:

Fire Safety Bill: Bishop of Rochester raises concerns over effects on leaseholders and tenants

On 28th April 2021, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Fire Safety Bill. The Bishop of Rochester spoke in the debate, raising concerns he and other members of the Bishops Benches had over the effects of the bill on tenants and leaseholders:

The Lord Bishop of Rochester: My Lords, the right reverend Prelates the Bishop of St Albans and the Bishop of London have both been involved in earlier stages on the Bill and, regretfully, neither is able to be in your Lordships’ House this evening. However, I come with my own background and interests, as a former board member of various housing associations over 25 years and as the former chair of the charity Housing Justice.

As noted by the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans has been heavily involved in this matter and has been persistent. He said yesterday that none of us wanted to be in this position at this stage. But while so much of the Bill is welcome—not least the £5 billion which has been referred to—there are continuing and serious concerns, some of which have already been expressed in the debate this evening, about the position of leaseholders and tenants, and particularly certain groups of leaseholders and tenants.

Fire Safety Bill: Bishop of St Albans raises issue of leaseholder costs

On 27th April 2021, the House of Lords debated amendments to the Fire Safety Bill. The Bishop of St Albans spoke in the debate, raising the difficulties faced by leaseholders struggling to meet remediation costs and to sell their properties:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: Well, my Lords, here we are again. I do not want to detain your Lordships’ House for too long, because everything has been said several times already, but I want to make a few comments, if I may.

I, too, want the Bill to pass. I pay tribute to Her Majesty’s Government and the money they have already found and put on the table, which is very significant. But since we last gathered here, the sheer scale of the crisis, which is in its very early stages, is slowly beginning to unfold before us and become ever clearer. I believe that is why the majority in the other place declines each time an amendment goes back, because those long-serving, seasoned campaigners in the other place realise what is going on. The stories are coming out absolutely relentlessly, and new research is being published.

At a few minutes to four this afternoon, I received an email from someone who works in Parliament. I will call her Claire; that is not her real name, but she will know who she is, because she emailed me at 3.56 pm and asked if I will speak up. She said, “Will you speak up for the leaseholders again and table an amendment? I bought a flat under the shared ownership scheme. I own a 25% share, yet I am liable for 100% of the costs. I am already paying an additional amount each month, and I know this amount will soon increase as further remediation work takes place. I simply cannot afford to pay for the remediation works, nor should I have to. The stress of this situation is becoming intolerable. My mental and physical health are approaching a state of collapse”. “Will you speak up?”, she said. I have not met her yet—I hope she will say hello to me one day, perhaps when she guesses who I am or sees me around the place. This is someone who we bump into, who works in this place and who serves us.

Fire Safety Bill: Bishop of St Albans moves amendment protecting leaseholders and tenants from remediation costs

On 20th April 2021, the House of Lords debated responses to the Commons Reasons and Amendments on the Fire Safety Bill. The Bishop of St Albans tabled a further amendment to the bill, seeking to protect leaseholders and tenants from remediation costs being passed on by building owners:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I give notice of my intention to seek the opinion of the House when the time comes, and declare my interest as a vice-president of the LGA.

When there is a crisis, we look to Her Majesty’s Government for radical and rapid action. Ministers are good at calling stakeholders to gather around the table. Just yesterday, in the other place, Minister Oliver Dowden said he was appalled by a situation. He promised Members that they should

“be no doubt that if they cannot act, we will … We will put everything on the table to prevent this from happening … Put simply, we will review everything the Government do to support”

this. He went on:

“We will do whatever it takes.”—[Official Report, Commons, 19/4/21; col. 676.]

Votes: Fire Safety Bill

On 17th March 2021, the House of Lords debated the Fire Safety Bill. A vote was held on an amendment to the bill tabled by the Bishop of St Albans:

Fire Safety Bill: Bishop of St Albans tables motion to amend bill and provide financial protection for leaseholders

On 17ht March 2021, the Bishop of St Albans moved a motion to amend to the Fire Safety Bill which would protect leaseholders from costs incurred in replacing flammable cladding:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, I speak to Motion C1 and Amendments 4B to 4E. I give notice of my intention to seek the opinion of the House when the time comes. I declare my interest in the register in that I, too, am a vice-president of the Local Government Association.

I first thank the honourable Members for Stevenage and for Southampton, Itchen, who originally prepared these amendments, as well as the signatories from all parties when they were tabled in the Commons. I also thank the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London, who joins me in supporting it, and pay tribute to one of our colleagues, the Bishop of Kensington, who has worked very closely on the ground with victims of Grenfell and leaseholders.

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