Committee questions Minister and new leadership on Building Safety Regulator’s performance
The Industry and Regulators Committee is concluding its inquiry into building safety regulation by hearing from Building Safety Minister Samantha Dixon MP and the new Chair and Chief Executive of the Building Safety Regulator, which has been set up to promote the safe design and construction of higher-risk buildings. The Committee will question whether the BSR’s approvals processes have delayed the construction of new high-rise housing and the removal of cladding from existing blocks and consider the Government’s reforms to address them. The Committee will also consider the extent to which delays have been caused by the culture and capability of the construction industry, and whether the BSR has provided sufficient guidance to the industry on how to build safe high-rise buildings. The Committee will also examine how to ensure that the regulator has the skills and resources it needs to provide timely approvals, in a sector facing skills shortages.
Meeting details
Possible questions include:
- What impact could the BSR’s building control delays have on the Government’s housing targets, both in relation to building new homes and remediating unsafe cladding from existing buildings?
- To what extent are delays in the BSR’s building control decisions caused by a poor understanding of building safety on the part of developers, building owners and managing agents, leading to unsuitable applications?
- Can the BSR’s building control processes be made quicker and more proportionate without impacting on the safety of high-rise buildings?
- Does the Government plan to provide long-term investment in the training of new building and fire inspectors as part of its Construction Skills Action Plan?