Politicians and campaigners have raised doubts over the government's move to scrap EWS1 forms for buildings below 18m. Last week, housing secretary Robert Jenrick said that EWS1 forms, which had been asked for by mortgage lenders to prove that external walls were fire-safe in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy, should no longer be requested from leaseholders trying to sell flats in blocks below 18m. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said it had made its decision in response to a report from fire safety experts that it said "makes clear that there is no systemic risk of fire" in blocks of flats under 18m. An MHCLG spokesperson said: "Our approach prioritises action on buildings 18m and above because the risk to multiple households is greater when fire does spread in buildings of this height." However, Clive Betts, chair of parliament's housing, communities and local government committee, said Jenrick had failed to address a key issue.
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