Jane Dodds Questions First Minister on Fire Safety Progress

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS has questioned the First Minister Mark Drakeford in the Senedd today over the progress the Welsh Labour Government is making in supporting residents and landlords in buildings with potential fire safety defects.

Jane Dodds MS addressing Cladding Campaigners

The question comes in light of recent announcements from the UK Government new legislation will protect leaseholders from the costs of all post-Grenfell building safety defects, not just combustible cladding.

Current support from the Welsh Government applies to those in social housing alone, which the Welsh Liberal Democrats have argued leaves those in private leaseholds at the mercy of extortionate costs to make buildings safe, despite having had no idea of faults in the buildings when they purchased their property.

Commenting Jane Dodds MS said:

“At the end of January, I hosted a public meeting here on the steps of the Senedd to listen to those affected and caught up in what is an absolute tragedy and a national scandal.

“First Minister I spoke to one pensioner, Eileen, who pays £511 a month in service charges alone.

“Her income, which is her monthly pension, is just £800 per month. One attendee was sent a bill of thousands of pounds and given just 25 days to pay. Others are facing bills of £50,000 over the coming years.

“It is the job of this Welsh Government to protect people and it must immediately put in place a mechanism to put right critical defects and prevent people from facing escalating and devastating bills.

“We must put the safety of people ahead of pursuing developers. The Welsh Government has the financial firepower to pursue building companies for compensation over a number of years, while most of those private citizens affected by this scandal do not.”

A full video of Jane's Question to the First Minister can be found here:

https://twitter.com/DoddsJane/status/1491071106840952834

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