Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
MSPs condemn ‘slow’ progress on dealing with cladding in flats
OPPOSITION MSPs have hit out at the Scottish Government over “delays” in tackling potentially unsafe cladding on high-rise buildings – with ministers being told that lives are at risk as a result.
Ministers came under fire as the Scottish Parliament prepares for today’s debate on new legislation aimed at dealing with potentially flammable cladding on blocks of flats.
However, a Holyrood committee has already complained that “progress has been slow”.
The Scottish Government had introduced a cladding remediation programme in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017, which killed 72 people, with cladding on the high-rise block said to have contributed to the spread of the blaze.
A report by the local government, housing and planning committee last month revealed that of the 105 buildings on this programme, only one had any remediation works carried out, with mitigation work being done at one other building.
In contrast it said that as of December 2023 in England more than twofifths of affected buildings (42%) had work either started or completed, with 1,608 premises included in this total. Remediation works have been completed in 797 buildings (21%) in England, the report added.
Meanwhile, in Wales, Labour said progress has been “significantly faster”, saying work on 37 buildings had been completed, with work also under way on a further 86 buildings.
Ahead of the debate on the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill, Labour housing spokesperson Mark Griffin said: “Not only are these delays seriously negligent, but they are also putting the lives of people at risk.
“On this, and so many other issues, the SNP government are simply asleep at the wheel and the consequences for many families could be a matter of life and death.”
Mr Griffin demanded: “Will it take another Grenfell tragedy, this time in Scotland, before the SNP government finally do their job and make these buildings safe.”
With the committee report also noting that the Scottish Government had spent “less than £5 million” of the £97m provided to it by the UK Government for cladding remediation, Conservative housing spokesman Miles Briggs hit out at the “snailpace progress”.