Speeches by Powell.

“We have heard from developers who welcome the shift to a more collaborative model with greater predictability and more pre-engagement. Is that something that you think you have the capacity to do across the board?”

“How many are you trying to recruit?”

“In terms of the practical steps that you have already identified, you heard some ideas from the first panel, but what is on your priority list?”

“Is it your intention to put a timeframe on when you expect to have the statutory 12-week target complied with?”

“Clearly, you are new in the role and a new CEO is about to start. You said when you were appointed that it was clear in your view that the Building Safety Regulator processes needed to “continue to evolve and improve”. The fundamental question we are trying to explore is whether you have the resources to avoid the perc…”

“Welcome back, Andy, in your new role.”

“It has felt in recent months like there has been almost a campaign in the media about the Building Safety Regulator’s role in potentially slowing down house building, so if there are things that you think are blocking that, it is really important that we are specific about them, rather than keeping it in generalities, …”

“Dame Judith, you just talked about the culture change post Grenfell, but I have heard from Melanie about all these brakes and so on. To take us back to where we started, it sounds like your fundamental belief is that there should not be a tension between the Building Safety Regulator and the execution of the new standa…”

“Have you quantified the number of dwellings that could have been built—that we have missed out on the opportunity to build?”

“I want to understand what you are saying, Allan. We have heard that there is a cliff edge—you either build under 18 metres or you go very high, because of the viability concerns. Is that what your data suggests?”

“Dame Judith, I am curious about building control capacity. One of the proposals for evolving the regulator has been to take a more proportionate approach to things like internal high-rise renovations, which currently go to the BSR. If they were not going to the BSR, they would go back to local building control. Do you …”

“I am Joe Powell, MP for Kensington and Bayswater.”

“It would also help us play our role of scrutinising MHCLG as well, including any future legislation that may be relevant to the BSR.”

“From your perspective, then, it is about ensuring that there is accountability from the board to the—”

“To pivot a little, Andy you will know better than all of us the criticism of the LFB in the Grenfell Tower inquiry and the recommendations that came out of that. Obviously, you led the implementation of those recommendations. With two senior LFB people coming in to the regulator, how would you address some of the criti…”

“When will you be rolling out the approval with requirements?”

“I have one follow-up question. Have you given any thought to how to make the process more progressive so that you avoid a cliff edge decision? Some people have advocated for green, amber and red so that you go through it and you don’t get to a point, very late in the process, where you are asked for lots of new informa…”

“In Kensington and Bayswater, there is now a staggering 19-year gap in life expectancy between men living in Notting Dale and those living in Holland Park—which are just hundreds of metres apart—and that gap has grown in recent years. The Minister knows that this is a whole-of-society issue to do with housing, employmen…”

“20. What steps his Department is taking to tackle health inequalities across the country.”

“Just to go back to the social housing sector very quickly, if you tot up everything—and that is why it has been so positive—it has the 10-year rent deal, access to the building safety fund, a new affordable homes programme, rent convergence and a housing bank. At the same time, it does not feel like the direction to th…”