The Government has responded to a public (paper) petition calling for the Government to hold a public inquiry into the handling of RAAC, introduce legislation for a high‑risk building register, mandatory defect reporting and a sixty‑year developer liability period, and consider compensation measures for affected homeowners, including banning mortgage interest on condemned homes and restoring first‑time buyer status. The petition was presented to the House of Commons by Brian Leishman MP on behalf of residents of the United Kingdom.
The petition asks the House of Commons to urge the Government to hold a public inquiry into how RAAC has been handled by national and local government, to introduce legislation requiring a high‑risk building register, mandatory reporting of building defects by surveyors and other professionals, and a sixty‑year liability period for developers for building defects, and to consider compensation measures for affected homeowners, including banning interest on mortgages for homes condemned due to RAAC and restoring first‑time buyer status to those impacted.
In response to the petition's request, the Government states that issues relating to RAAC are long‑standing, with existing guidance available to support building owners in identifying, assessing and managing safety risks.
In England, the Building Safety Act 2022 introduced a strengthened regime for high‑risk residential buildings, placing clear duties on those responsible, including principal accountable persons, who must demonstrate robust safety oversight and report incidents through mandatory occurrence reporting. Although RAAC is found across a wider range of building types beyond those covered by the high‑risk regime, the same principles of clear responsibility, regular assessment and early reporting apply wherever RAAC is present.
The prevalence of RAAC in housing is low, and the risk of injury from RAAC panel collapse is low compared with other built‑environment risks; therefore, the Government has no plans to introduce new measures, but continues to work with building owners, local authorities and the Building Safety Regulator to ensure risks are managed in a robust and proportionate way.
Building safety policy and local government finance are devolved, and while UK officials have engaged with devolved Governments on RAAC, decisions on funding and resource allocation rest with the relevant local or devolved authorities, reflecting local risk assessments, priorities and circumstances.
What are public (paper) petitions?
A public (paper) petition is a petition to the House of Commons presented by an MP.
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