King's Speech 2026: Remediation Bill

Remediation Bill

“My Government will bring forward a Bill to speed up remediation for people living in
homes with unsafe cladding”

● Nearly nine years on from the Grenfell Tower Fire tragedy, there are still too
many buildings with unsafe cladding. The cladding safety crisis continues to
endanger lives, and leave people stuck in unsuitable homes they’re unable to
sell.

● The Remediation Bill delivers on the manifesto commitments to fix the
cladding crisis and make those responsible pay towards fixing the problem
they caused.

What does the Bill do?

● The Government is committed to driving forward remediation, that is, the
removal of unsafe cladding which is putting lives at risk. This Bill will tackle
those who are blocking remediation, restore confidence in the housing
market, and make sure no building, and no resident, is left behind.

● The Bill will:
○ Make construction product manufacturers pay towards fixing the
problem they caused, by fixing long-standing gaps in the law and
ending years of inaction. For the first time developers, contractors and
others who have paid to make buildings safe will be able to properly
pursue manufacturers, rather than being blocked by technical legal
barriers.
○ Equip regulators with the powers they need to compel action, and
bring the cladding safety crisis to an end. It is unacceptable that the
current regime lacks the severe sanctions needed to punish those who
continuously and egregiously block remediation.
○ Introduce a new legal duty to remediate, compelling those
responsible for the safety of their buildings, such as freeholders, to
identify, assess, and fix their buildings without delay. Those responsible
must act, or face the consequences, including criminal prosecution, in
the most egregious and severe cases.
○ Mandate how external wall assessments are carried out, to ensure
a nationally consistent approach to remediation work, and introduce an

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 11-18 metre register to identify all remaining buildings requiring
remediation work. For the first time, the Government will have a
complete record of all medium-rise buildings in England – putting an
end to the information gap and improving system readiness if new risks
affect homes.
○ Implement a remediation backstop to allow a third party, such as
Homes England, to step in and carry out remediation work themselves,
ensuring that residents have a route to remediation even where the
responsible party is determined to ignore their duty to keep residents
safe. This will be backed by tough sanctions so they cannot benefit,
including cost recovery and potential sale of their interest.

○ Fix gaps in previous legislation to protect residents and
guarantee a route to remediation – even where ownership is absent,
unclear, or negligent.
● Every building made safe allows those who are stuck in unsuitable housing,
through no fault of their own, to sell their flats and move on with their lives.
Territorial extent and application

● The Bill will extend to England and Wales. The majority of measures will apply
in England only.

Key facts

● Of the 4,310 buildings that are 11 metres and above in England that have
been identified with unsafe cladding, work has been completed on only
35 per cent. Too many of those responsible are not complying with their
obligations to make their buildings safe. Regulators have had to take
enforcement action at over 800 buildings with suspected unsafe cladding.

● The Government, and some members of the construction industry, are
funding the cost of remediating external wall defects. The Government
has committed £5.15 billion to remediate buildings in England, and the cost to
the 53 developers who have signed the Developer Remediation Contract is
estimated at £4.2 billion for buildings they are responsible for. Construction
product manufacturers have yet to contribute towards the cost of fixing the
problem they caused. As yet, no claim against a manufacturer has been
brought to court. The Remediation Bill takes important steps to address this
position, and the Government will continue work to ensure manufacturers play
their part, including financially.

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● Too many buildings still lack clear, robust assessments of their external
walls, delaying remediation and leaving residents exposed to
unacceptable risk. The Bill will put into law the standards and assurance
practices already proven across government remediation programmes. It will
legally require Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEWs) surveys to
follow the PAS 9980 framework, providing a clear, proportionate and
evidence-based methodology for assessing external wall risks. The Building
Standards Institute is also working to finalise its review of PAS 9980 in
summer 2026.

● The ongoing cladding safety crisis is blighting lives across the country.
Those stuck in unremediated buildings are unable to feel safe in their homes,
and unable to sell up and move on. They also face higher costs. The Financial
Conduct Authority has found there was an 187 per cent increase in insurance
premiums for buildings with identified flammable cladding from 2016 to 2021.
The continued presence of unsafe cladding undermines confidence in the
safety, value, and viability of living in, and owning, flats.

● The Chair of the Building Safety Regulator Board, Lord Andrew Roe
KFSM, said “The Remediation Bill will give us additional tools we need to
compel reluctant landlords to take action to remediate their buildings and
remove unsafe cladding, or face severe sanctions.” “Everyone deserves to
feel safe and be safe in their homes. The Bill will help us achieve that goal.”

● The London Fire Brigade Commissioner, Jonathan Smith, said “We
welcome this announcement and the continued progress toward legislation
that will help address fire safety risks in high-rise residential buildings.” “Nearly
nine years on from the Grenfell Tower Fire, there remain far too many
buildings with serious fire safety issues. Ensuring that remediation progresses
more effectively is critically important to restoring the confidence of residents
in the safety of their homes.”

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