Clive Betts tells government to “spell out” assessment of risk from a form of lightweight concrete

The chair of a cross-party committee of MPs has written to the housing minister to request an update on the government’s assessment of risk from Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in residential buildings.

clive betts

Clive Betts, chair of the levelling up, housing and communities committee

In his letter, Clive Betts, chair of the levelling up, housing and communities committee, asked Lee Rowley what the department’s current assessment of RAAC risk is in both residential and non-domestic buildings (see box below).

This was one of several questions, including a request for details of the latets gudiance to local authorities, information about the funding avaulable for RAA risk mitigation and for an update on what the government is doing to identiy and mitigate risks.

Betts said that given the “urgency of these matters” he would like a response before parliment’s recess on Tuesday.

Betts said: “There are well-publicised concerns about the use of RAAC in public buildings such as schools and hospitals but there is also concern about the use of RAAC in housing.

 

“It’s important the government spells out its assessment of the risk in residential buildings, in social housing and local authorities’ estates and what guidance it is giving to residents and landlords on the risk of RAAC.”

The Regulator of Social Housing last week wrote to social landlords to warn them they need to find out if their homes contain RAAC and, if so, assess what risks this posed to tenants. However, RSH has said repeatedly that it believes RAAC is “not widespread” in social housing.

Questions asked by Clive Betts to Lee Rowley

  • What is the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ current

assessment of the risk of RAAC in (a) residential and (b) non-domestic buildings?

  • What is the Department’s latest guidance for residents and landlords on the risk of

RAAC in (a) social housing and (b) the private rented sector? Are there plans to update

this guidance following the Department for Education’s recent action?

  • What is the Department’s latest guidance for local authorities on the risk of RAAC in

their estates? Are there plans to update this guidance following the Department for

Education’s recent action?

  • What funding is available to mitigate the risk of RAAC where it is identified in (a) social

housing and (b) local authorities’ estates?

  • What action is the Department taking to identify and mitigate the risk of RAAC in

public buildings in its own estate?

  • As the government department with overall responsibility for building safety

remediation and regulation regimes, what role is the Department taking in the crossgovernment response to the risk of RAAC?

 

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