JOIN OUR 'UK RAAC CAMPAIGN GROUP' FB PAGE (HERE)
London, March 26, 2025 – Alex Norris MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Growth and Building Safety, has issued a response to Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the UK RAAC Campaign Group, regarding concerns raised about Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in residential buildings, particularly in Scotland.
In a letter dated March 26, 2025, Norris acknowledged the ongoing issues faced by homeowners affected by RAAC, including those in Aberdeen, Clackmannanshire, and Basildon. He expressed his sympathies for the difficulties experienced by those impacted, including the daughter of Mr. Chowdhry, and emphasized the government’s awareness of the situation.
The letter outlined the government's current stance on RAAC, citing the recent reports published by the Building Safety Regulator under the Building Safety Act 2022. The reports, based on limited data, suggest that the risk of injury due to RAAC panel collapses remains low compared to other risks in the built environment. As a result, the UK Government has no plans to implement a national scheme or fund to address RAAC issues in residential dwellings.
Norris also highlighted that building safety and local government finance are devolved matters in Scotland, meaning that the Scottish Government has the responsibility to allocate resources as it sees fit, including for building safety and performance. He reiterated that the UK Government continues to engage with Scottish officials on building safety matters, though the responsibility for addressing RAAC issues ultimately rests with the Scottish Government.
Further, Norris addressed the UK RAAC Campaign Group’s suggestions regarding legislative reforms, including the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the Insurance Act 2015. He acknowledged the importance of these proposals and clarified that it is within the purview of the Scottish Government to raise any reserved policy or legislative matters with the UK Government.
In closing, Norris expressed understanding for the frustration of homeowners affected by RAAC and reiterated the government’s commitment to building safety reform. He reassured Mr. Chowdhry and others that the government remains engaged in the conversation, even if the response may not provide an immediate resolution.
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairperson for the UK RAAC Campaign Group, said:
“It is deeply disappointing that the UK Government continues to overlook the significant financial and emotional toll the RAAC crisis is placing on affected homeowners—particularly in Scotland, where over 1,200 homes were sold under the Right to Buy Scheme, a policy many believe was imposed by Westminster. The Scottish Government may have taken on devolved housing responsibilities, but it is now deflecting blame to the UK Government while pleading poverty, leaving families abandoned in dangerously unstable homes.
Many of these residents are being pushed to the brink of suicide, are battling depression, and face imminent bankruptcy or homelessness—yet the UK Government maintains it cannot intervene because the perceived safety risk of RAAC remains 'low'. This conclusion is based on limited reporting and guidance by groups such as BRE, IstructE and SCOSS who completely ignored historic large-scale demolitions of RAAC homes in Basildon during the 1990s, the 86 homes slated for demolition in West Lothian in 2004, and the ongoing decanting of residents from Tillicoultry due to structural instability.
This is not just a failure of policy—it is a scandal in the making. The refusal to act, when financial and insurance regulations could be reformed to support innocent homeowners who face ruin through no fault of their own, is unacceptable. Worse still, Mr. Norris’s assertion that proposals for legislative change must come from the Scottish Government—when these are clearly reserved matters—represents a deflection of responsibility at the expense of people’s lives.
I will be requesting a face-to-face meeting with Mr. Norris to convey the urgency of this crisis directly and will write to the Scottish Government seeking their response to this letter. Both governments must stop passing the buck and start acting—because delay is not just damaging, it is dangerous.”
