After three months and the support of tens of thousands, Awaab's Law could pass its biggest hurdle today. The Social Housing (Regulation) Bill is back in the House of Commons this afternoon (March 1).
It's the first opportunity for MPs to discuss the amendments put forward by housing secretary Michael Gove in the memory of Rochdale toddler Awaab Ishak, who died aged two following prolonged exposure to mould at his home. Mr Gove met Awaab's parents in Rochdale last month to discuss the amendments being made following the campaign.
If voted through Parliament as amended, the new law will mean social landlords have to follow strict timeframes to inspect cases of damp and mould, and carry out urgent repairs. Those timeframes will be set following a consultation period, but Mr Gove told the Manchester Evening News he would 'need a lot of persuading' to move away from the original demands of the campaign.
READ MORE: All the ways tragic two-year-old toddler Awaab Ishak was failed before his death
Amendments to the Bill will also require clear information to be provided to tenants on their rights, allow for Ofsted-style inspections of housing associations, and require housing managers to take professional qualifications - a demand set by Grenfell United during extensive campaigning since the 2017 tower block fire. Separately, clear guidance on damp and mould as a health hazard will be issued to the housing sector later this year.
After speaking to Mr Gove last month, Awaab's father, Faisal Abdullah, said: "We would like to express our thanks to Michael Gove and his team for listening to us and doing the right thing. My wife and I still struggle to deal with the loss of our son, but we are finally starting to feel like we are being treated fairly.
"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."
Speaking in Manchester last week, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer indicated his party would get behind 'whatever measures necessary' to make sure Awaab's death isn't repeated. Should MPs back the Bill at the report stage today, it will go to a final reading in the Commons before amendments are considered by the Lords, paving the way for Royal Assent from King Charles III.
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