Does the Welsh Government have any intention to review its past rejection of sections 116-125 of the Building Safety Act 2022 in Wales, given the impact these sections of the legislation have had on leaseholders in England?
My position on legislating for provision akin to sections 116 – 125 of the Building Safety Act 2022 is unchanged.
The approach in Wales is different to that of England. In November 2023 I announced there is a route to address fire safety issues in all residential buildings of 11 metres and over. This is not limited to buildings with cladding and applies to both internal and external fire safety issues. Wales is the only UK nation to make this commitment.
I have been clear that I do not wish to only limit liability for leaseholders, I believe they should not be made to pay for works to rectify fire safety issues not of their making. In addition to this, I have not adopted the concept of ‘qualifying’ and ‘non-qualifying’ leaseholders. Expressions of Interest from Responsible Persons have been invited so all leaseholders who find themselves in a building impacted by fire safety issues can be supported.
It is my intention, that where a genuine dispute arises leaseholders should be able to access advice and support. In my view, this is the fair way – the Welsh way.
To support this, the Leaseholder Legal Advisory Service was launched in May to support leaseholders who need legal advice regarding their property as a direct result of fire safety issues. The scheme is administered by the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) and the first step to access this support is to contact them.