Awaab's law to be tabled by the government "as soon as possible"

Awaab Ishak

A proposed law in memory of Awaab Ishak will be tabled “as soon as possible” by the government.

Housing minister Felicity Buchan told MPs on Monday (23 January) that government is working through “the specific recommendations to consider how changes could be made as soon as possible.”

Two-year-old Awaab died in December 2020 as a result of a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home, which was managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.
 

Read more: Prolonged exposure to mould in RBH flat led to death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, inquest concludesPublished: 15 November 2022

His family have since called for ‘Awaab’s law’ to prevent any more children from dying as a result of damp and mouldy conditions in social housing.

The latest update comes after the housing and health secretaries said new guidance would come in summer.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Buchan said that government “strongly backed the spirit of proposals” in Awaab’s law.

She said: “The tragic death last year of Awaab Ishak as a consequence of the untreated mould in his home showed that we needed to go further and faster to make sure that residents in social rented housing are safe in their homes, and know where to go to complain when they do not get the answers that they need from their landlord.

“On Awaab’s law, we are considering how to make further changes to regulation. The government strongly back the spirit of the proposals in Awaab’s law.

“It aims to make sure that landlords respond to complaints about damp and mould quickly and with proper regard to the risk to health. We are working through the specific recommendations to consider how changes could be made as soon as possible.”