Buildings: Insurance
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will take steps to encourage insurance companies to insure buildings with a PAS 9980 assessment of (a) low and (b) medium tolerable that do not require remediation.
Answered by Alex Norris
Building owners are responsible for ensuring that buildings have appropriate buildings insurance in place.
The government encourages insurance companies to provide suitable, fairly-priced insurance for all blocks of flats, whatever the conclusion of the Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls.
Insurers make commercial decisions about the price and terms of cover they offer following their assessment of the relevant risks. Government is determined that insurance companies treat customers fairly and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value. The FCA has been clear it will be monitoring firms and, where necessary, it will take action.
My officials would be happy to speak to the insurance industry about any building brought to our attention, which is unable to obtain any buildings insurance cover.
For buildings that do require remediation, the Fire Safety Reinsurance Facility, led by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and reinsurance broker McGill and Partners, may reduce high premiums for some of the most affected multi-occupancy buildings with fire safety issues.
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