Dangerous cladding remains on 44 council or housing association tower blocks, according to the latest government figures.
Speaking in the House of Lords earlier this week, local government minister Lord Bourne said work to remove combustible cladding has either been completed or started on 116 social sector buildings.
In addition, Lord Bourne said that the cladding, similar to that used on Grenfell Tower, remained on 44 social sector buildings, but added “plans and commitments” are in place for its removal on all of them.
The minister added plans and commitments are also now in place to remove and replace dangerous cladding on 203 privately-owned buildings.
Lord Bourne said there are further 69 privately-owned buildings that do no have plans or commitments in place.
“As the figures indicate, we have places in place for all buildings, other than those 69 for which the Secretary of State wrote to local authorities urging action and offering financial assistance,” said Lord Bourne.
“The most important thing is making these buildings safe, which we are well on the way to doing.”
But Labour’s shadow local government minister, Lord Kennedy questioned why some tower blocks are still covered in the cladding more than 18 months after the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
“Why is the department so slow to act on these matters?” asked the peer.
In November, ministers laid new regulations in Parliament to ban combustible cladding on new tower blocks.
The ban means combustible materials will not be allowed on the external walls of new buildings over 18-metres containing flats, as well as new hospitals, residential care premises, dormitories in boarding schools and student accommodation over 18-metres tall.
Schools over 18 metres which are built as part of the government’s centrally delivered build programmes will also not use combustible materials, in line with the terms of the ban, in the external wall.
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