Michael Gove has confirmed his government department is looking at how Awaab's Law can become legislation 'as quickly as possible'. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News during a visit to Rochdale, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said he wanted to make sure the memory of Awaab Ishak is 'properly honoured'.
Awaab died aged two in December 2020 after breathing in mould at his home on Rochdale's Freehold estate, which is owned and managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH). Following his inquest, RBH was condemned for failing to deal with the issue before Awaab's death, with chief executive Gareth Swarbrick being ousted from his role on Saturday (November 19).
The M.E.N. first spoke to other tenants on the estate in the summer, when families spoke of their own battles with mould and how their children struggled with breathing difficulties. Over the past week, more than 120,000 people have backed our campaign for Awaab's Law, ensuring no social housing tenants could suffer in the same conditions Awaab did.
Building on the Social Housing Regulation Bill which is currently going through Parliament, Awaab's Law also sets timeframes and requirements for inspections to be carried out on damp and mould, given greater urgency to cases where health issues have been identified and making sure all residents are told their rights. The legal representatives of Awaab's family have also urged people to sign the petition, which has the support of Shelter and Citizens Advice in Rochdale.
Today (November 24), Mr Gove spoke to Awaab's family and legal representatives, before confirming work to bring Awaab's Law into legislation was being looked at during a visit to the Freehold estate. He told the M.E.N. : "We're bringing forward legislation - the social housing regulation bill - which will be holding all landlords to account and I talked to Awaab's legal team about how we can make sure that legislation is as strong as possible so that Awaab's memory is properly honoured."
Mr Gove added: "I have to praise the Manchester Evening News for shining a light on the condition of people who are living in homes that are not fit for human habitation. It's been campaigning journalism by a great newspaper and Awaab's Law has attracted, thanks to your championing and thanks to Awaab's legal team, the support of tens of thousands of people.
"I've asked my team to look now at the specific recommendations of Awaab's Law to see if we can bring it into force as soon as possible. You'll appreciate that what we need to do, and I explained it to Awaab's lawyers, is just make sure that the specific changes requested actually bring about the improvements that we all want to see.
"I'm not looking to delay, I just want to make sure that the spirit of Awaab's Law and where possible the letter of Awaab's Law is written into our statute book as quickly as possible. We're looking at exactly how we can do that.
"As everyone knows, the process of law-making and drafting and so on, sometimes isn't as quick as we would like it to be. But coming here today, talking to Awaab's family and speaking to others who are in similar conditions, only reinforces the urgency of acting."
Following their meeting with Mr Gove earlier today, the family of Awaab Ishak have welcomed his support for Awaab's Law, confirming he had given his support for changes to legislation. The statement said: "The Social Housing Regulation Bill is currently going through Parliament.
"We can confirm that Michael Gove has provided his support to this. The family are pushing for the implementation of an ‘Awaab’s Law’ to ensure that no other family go through what they have been through. Awaab’s Law would significantly improve the experiences of those living with mould and damp in their properties and is therefore crucial.
"We are pleased that the Secretary of State has provided his support for an ‘Awaab’s Law.’" Sign the petition for Awaab's Law here.
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