Esther McVey tells Labour shadow it is trying to understand ‘scope and scale of issue'

Housing minister Esther McVey has admitted the government still does not know the scale of the problem caused by flammable cladding.

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Source: Shutterstock

Asked in a written question by shadow housing secretary John Healey what assessment the government had made of the number of flat-owners in residential blocks who have been unable to sell or remortgage their home because of the presence of flammable cladding, McVey admitted: "The government is working with industry to understand the scope and scale of the issue.”

Her reply on Monday comes after the first long-awaited Grenfell Tower Inquiry report last week pointed the finger of blame for the spread of the fire at ACM cladding and backed Dame Judith Hackitt’s call for a “golden thread” of information around a building’s construction.