UK: Grenfell Fire safety bill to become law

Legislation to make it clear who is responsible for fire safety in tower blocks is on the verge of becoming law, four years after the Grenfell blaze.

MPs voted 242 to 153 to defeat an amendment of the Fire Safety Bill – so it could receive royal assent later.

The bill has gone through many rounds of votes as the House of Lords tried to ensure residents would not have to pay for required safety upgrades.

It aims to toughen safety rules after 72 died in the 2017 west London fire.

The new legislation modifies a previous law to clarify that building owners must manage and reduce the risk of fire in their properties.

The government was under pressure to get it passed before the end of the parliamentary session on Thursday.

Thousands of leaseholders are currently facing large bills to pay for safety improvements, including fire breaks, new balconies, safer doors and sprinkler systems.

Ministers suffered several House of Lords defeats in attempting to pass the legislation as the issue of who should pay for additional safety works became a sticking point.

Earlier this year, the government announced a new £3.5bn support package, with ministers insisting no leaseholders in high-rise blocks in England will face charges for the removal of unsafe cladding.

But critics of the government’s response have argued this will not cover all of the costs faced by leaseholders, which they said have emerged through no fault of their own.

Housing minister Chris Pincher said the bill “is an important first step in our legislative programme delivering these recommendations and I cannot stress enough… the vital importance of this legislation and the ramifications if it fails as a result of outstanding remediation amendments.”

Source: BBC News