The report findings come after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the Budget that the government would invest more than £1bn for repairs to buildings with dangerous cladding in 2025-26, which includes new investment to speed up remediation of social housing.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “There is a long way to go before all affected buildings are made safe, and risks MHCLG must address if its approach is to succeed.
“To stick to its £5.1bn cap in the long run, MHCLG needs to ensure that it can recoup funds through successful implementation of the proposed Building Safety Levy.”
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee, who previously met survivors of the Grenfell fire, said “the programme is falling behind schedule and MHCLG needs to pick up the pace to get it back on track,” adding “the government must take steps to better protect the taxpayer”.
“It urgently needs to ensure its fraud controls are working and that developers contribute their fair share to the costs.”
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