Owners of up to 7,000 buildings have yet to apply for funds to address fire risks caused by unsafe cladding, according to the Government.
Housing minister Rushanara Ali said remediation work has started at 50% of the 4,630 residential buildings above 11 metres which are being monitored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
But MPs heard Government estimates suggest as many as 7,000 buildings have yet to apply for the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS), with Ms Ali warning that those responsible have “no excuse” and risk facing enforcement action.
The CSS, initially established in November 2022, is designed to cover the cost of addressing life safety fire risks associated with cladding on residential buildings over 11 metres in height.
Ms Ali’s remarks came as she opened a House of Commons debate on building safety and resilience, which took place just days after the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry was published.
It found the 2017 fire at the west London tower block, which killed 72 people, was the result of “decades of failure” by government and the construction industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings.
Ms Ali said the Government intends to consider the report’s recommendations and respond “within six months”, with an annual update to Parliament on progress made on its commitments.
Ms Ali told MPs: “I want to focus on some of the numbers of properties that are affected.
“There are currently 4,630 residential buildings above 11 metres whose remediation is being monitored by my department.
“Half of them have seen remediation start, with 1,350 having completed remediation.
“But counting the buildings we know about is not enough.
“We estimate there are as many as 7,000 buildings that need remediation that have not yet applied for the Cladding Safety Scheme.
“That is a maximum estimate, there may well be fewer, but those responsible for those buildings have no excuse for failing to apply and we will work with regulators to make sure they are identified.
“We will ensure dangerous buildings are found and dealt with. The money is there, the speed must increase.
“We are not leaving this task just to regulators. The Government must do more and this Government will.”
Ms Ali added: “Our message to building owners is clear: those who fail to make their building safe will face enforcement action. The funding is there, the Government has committed £5.1 billion to remove dangerous cladding and industry is providing the rest.
“All blocks of residential flats above 11 metres now have access to a scheme to fix unsafe cladding. Qualifying leaseholders are protected by law from crippling bills for historical safety defects.”
Ms Ali said the Government is “willing to force freeholders to assess their buildings and enter remediation schemes within set timetables”, adding: “With a legal requirement to force action if that is what it takes to tackle industry intransigence.
“We will set out further steps on remediation this autumn.”
Shadow housing minister David Simmonds said a building’s location, design and “proximity to other sources of risk” should be considered when a planning application comes forward.
He added: “The safety and resilience of a building is not simply down to its own construction of materials.”
