The campaign for Awaab's Law has passed its biggest test to date following a debate in the House of Commons. MPs across the political divide have given their backing to proposed law changes being made in memory of toddler Awaab Ishak.
Little Awaab died aged two in December 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould, which social landlord Rochdale Boroughwide Housing failed to treat. MPs supported the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill in the Commons this afternoon (March 1), including amendments put forward by government following the Manchester Evening News' campaign for Awaab's Law.
Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour MP for Salford and Eccles, said: "Greater Manchester and indeed the rest of the country was shocked and horrified at the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale. His little lungs had been exposed to deadly damp and mould in the flat that he lived in with his family.
"They battled against this for a number of years and even filed disrepair claims against the housing association. I think we're all united in this house that in one of the richest economies in the world, this should never have happened, and I can't imagine the pain and heartache that his family must feel every single day.
"But today, we embark on the first step towards making sure that no family should ever have to experience what his family have." Ms Long-Bailey paid tribute to Rochdale MP Tony Lloyd for working 'relentlessly' to push the amendments being made in Awaab's memory, along with the campaigners who have battled for change.
She said: "I also want to pay thanks to the amazing organisations who have been the ultimate driving force in the Awaab's Law campaign - the Ishak family themselves, the legal team, the Manchester Evening News and Change.org for spearheading the campaign, and Shelter and Grenfell United for committing such energy, compassion and knowledge."
Amendments to the Bill following the Awaab's Law campaign mean social landlords will have strict timeframes in which to inspect damp and mould, and carry out urgent repairs. Those timeframes will be set following a consultation within six months of the Bill being given Royal Assent.
Previously, housing secretary Michael Gove had suggested he would need a lot of persuasion to move away from the timeframes set in the original campaign, of 14 days for inspections and seven days for urgent repairs. Amendments made to the bill will also see clear information on rights and how to make a complaint provided to tenants, Ofsted-style inspections for housing associations and the requirement for managers to take professional qualifications, following campaigning by Grenfell United and Shelter.
Ms Long-Bailey added: "Whilst I appreciate that the government wants to consult on the final form of these regulations, I can't stress enough that they must include the provisions set out by the Awaab's Law campaign in setting clear minimum safety standards, clear minimum timeframes for the remedying of any hazards found and an urgent priority move if the property is found to be unsafe."
Chris Clarkson, Conservative MP for Heywood and Middleton, thanked the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) for its efforts in pushing through the Bill and the Awaab's Law amendments. He told Dehenna Davison, the minister presenting the Bill in the Commons: "As one of Rochdale borough's two MPs I have to thank [DLUHC] for the speedy and sensitive way they have dealt with this.
"Could I ask [Ms Davison] to give an assurance that once this has passed, social housing tenants can have confidence that the homes they are provided are fit for habitation in a way that hasn't been the case up to now?" Ms Davison told the Commons that the law changes being brought forward were 'designed specifically' to ensure cases like Awaab's and the Grenfell Tower fire 'do not happen again'.
She added: "I know that I'm not alone in saying that I was deeply shocked by the tragic death of Awaab Ishak. The death of a child is always heartbreaking and for it to have been entirely preventable makes it even more devastating.
"My thoughts remain with Awaab's family for the difficult time they have been going through. But I think this terrible case has really thrown into sharp relief the need for this government to continue steadfastly in its mission to drive up the quality of this country's social housing and, crucially, to rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords."
Opposition MPs gave their support to the Bill and the changes proposed following Awaab's death, although Labour wanted the Bill to go further, with additional protections for tenants who challenge their landlord. Shadow housing minister Matthew Pennycook told the Commons that 'the lives of far too many social housing tenants are blighted by poor conditions'.
He said: "Awaab Ishak's untimely death from prolonged exposure to mould in the house his parents rented from RBH should never have occurred, and the fact it did - frankly, madam deputy speaker, shames our country.
"The coroner was right to call it a defining moment, but it falls to this house to ensure that it truly is. It's therefore essential that we legislate to compel landlords to act quickly to remedy hazards of the kind that ultimately killed Awaab."
Mr Pennycook also criticised 'far too many' social landlords who 'routinely fail their tenants'. Highlighting that up to 160,000 social homes across the country have notable problems with damp and mould, Mr Pennycook said landlords who deal with it 'ineffectively' or blame tenant lifestyle 'cannot be tolerated'.
Following the third reading of the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill, amendments will be considered by the House of Lords. The Bill, including changes made following the Awaab's Law campaign, will then be signed off by King Charles III.
After speaking to Mr Gove last month, Awaab's father Faisal Abdullah said: "We hope that Awaab's Law will help stop any other family going through the pain we have gone through. We would not wish this pain on anybody."
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