Today the Government will begin what it describes as the biggest changes to building safety for nearly 40 years with the publication of its draft Building Safety Bill.

It will also formally invite applications from the end of July for the £1bn Building Safety Fund, to remove unsafe non-ACM cladding from buildings

More than 700 pre-registration forms have already been received.

The draft Bill is a large and complex piece of legislation which is why the government is publishing it for pre-legislative scrutiny before introducing it to Parliament for its various readings in the Autumn.

As recommended by Dame Judith Hackitt in her Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, the draft Bill will introduce more stringent rules for all blocks of flats that are either 18m or more in height or more than six storeys tall.

These will apply from the design phase through to occupation.

A Building Safety Regulator, already being set up within the Health and Safety Executive, will be fully established and equipped with the power to hold building owners to account.  The Chief Inspector of Buildings in England will lead the regulator.

It will also provide new powers to better regulate construction materials and products to ensure they are safe to use.

Building inspectors who are responsible for signing buildings off as safe for people to live in will also have to follow the new rules and must register with the regulator.

Government will also release consultation looking at strengthening fire safety in all regulated buildings in England to ensure that people are safe from fire regardless of where they live, stay or work.

Taken with the draft Bill, these measures will improve the safety of residents in buildings of all heights.

Independent advisor and author of the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, Dame Judith Hackitt said: “I welcome this draft Bill as an important milestone in delivering the fundamental reform this industry needs to make residents and buildings safer.

“It meets the ambitions and recommendations set out in my review.

“And industry must be in no doubt that it is not enough to wait for the Bill to become law before they implement changes; we expect them to start taking action now.”