Cladding scandal: Govt pushes back to blameless leaseholders and tenants

Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper has criticised the Government for turning its back on " " after amendments intended to stop building owners passing on the costs of fixing defects were defeated in the House of Commons last night.

Daisy Cooper MP, who introduced the principle that leaseholders should be protected from the extortionate costs of fire safety remediation at Committee Stage of the Fire Safety Bill, commented:

"The Government has once again turned its back on blameless leaseholders and tenants whose homes are not fire safe. This is utterly crushing for thousands of people left with sky-high bills and unsafe, unsellable properties.

"The Government has taken almost four years to bring forward a two page bill and has spent nine months finding fault in ideas that would protect leaseholders without bringing forward any of its own.

"It is utterly shameful that the Government continues to vote against the only proposal on the table that would protect leaseholders and tenants from these extortionate costs.

Within Wiltshire, hundreds of high rise buildings across Wiltshire and Dorset are to be inspected for unsafe cladding. Buildings over 18 metres tall pose a higher risk for fatalities and injuries during a fire. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service aims to inspect over 200 buildings above that height by the end of this year.

"The Liberal Democrats will keep fighting for justice to end the fire safety scandal."