Ruth Cadbury MP urges Government to fix fire safety crisis and warns that leaseholders face ‘bankruptcy’.

Speaking during a debate on the Fire Safety Bill on Wednesday 24th February, Ruth Cadbury MP urged the Government to fix the fire safety crisis facing flat residents across the country- including many in her constituency.

In her speech Ruth said that the Government and the construction industry are together responsible for the crisis that has been growing for years, and they alone must fix it. She reminded the Commons that the Government had ‘ignored the recommendations’ into previous fatal fires at residential flats.

After the speech Ruth also voted for two amendments to the Fire Safety Bill. The first would have ensured that leaseholders would have been protected from paying to fix fire safety faults and the second would have put the recommendations from the Grenfell Fire Inquiry into law. Both of these amendments were voted down by the Government.

Speaking afterwards Ruth said,

‘‘Once again the Government have failed to act to protect the thousands of leaseholders and residents impacted by this crisis.

I know from talking to those affected, from NHS key workers, to those their 80s, that this scandal has caused a huge amount of anxiety and distress for residents who do not know whether their homes are safe.

The cost of fixing this injustice should not fall on leaseholders and residents locally- the responsibility should lie with the Government, and the construction industry who developed these buildings.

I will continue to stand up on behalf of all those impacted by this injustice and will continue to urge the Government to do the right thing.’’