The pre-legislative scrutiny report on the draft Building Safety Bill is now out, and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has expressed its ‘warm welcome’.
Published by the Housing Community and Local Government Select Committee, the report outlines the committee’s concerns about the draft bill and the lack of detail with regards to the new regulatory regime for the design, construction, and occupation of higher-risk buildings.
Several key recommendations include the provision for a national system of accreditation to agreed common standards and for a central register of building safety managers.
“Given how critical building safety managers will be to the new building safety regime, we do not see how that regime can succeed other than by requiring prospective building safety managers to demonstrate competence,” stated the committee.
“A robust system of accreditation and registration will give accountable persons and residents confidence in the competence of those appointed to the role and make more likely a genuinely robust system of building safety.”
Commenting on the Parliamentary report, ABI general insurance policy director James Dalton said: “We warmly welcome the Housing Community and Local Government Select Committee’s report on the draft Building Safety Bill.
“The new legislation represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver fundamental reform of the regulatory framework for building and construction and improve the safety of the built environment, so it is vital we get it right.”
Dalton added that the government’s pre-consultation has been helpful.
