Tom Gordon
MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough · Liberal Democrat · United Kingdom
“My understanding is that Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, is bringing into force the Weaver Network, but in York and North Yorkshire we do not yet have an equivalent. One of the challenges that people face is that they often connect over the boundary of those two counties.”
“My constituency has loads of fantastic built heritage, including Knaresborough House, Knaresborough castle, Starbeck Baths and much more. I really enjoyed reading the report and noted the recommendation about safe harbour, where trusted bodies could temporarily take control of at-risk assets to stabilise them.”
“In my capacity as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on cabin air quality, I recently met pilots and cabin crew about the impact of fume events and the lifelong consequences that they can have for them. What steps are the Government taking to investigate, research, regulate and mitigate those issues?”
“Earlier in this Parliament I raised the potential of Russia returning to Eurovision. Last week I raised the issue of a Russian animated children’s cartoon on British TV. This week we have heard that the International Olympic Committee is paving the way for Russia to return to the next Olympic games.”
“On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Last Friday, a number of Conservative MPs visited my constituency. That is entirely understandable, as we have fantastic event spaces and hospitality. Most of those Conservative MPs notified me in advance that they would be attending, with one notable exception: the Leader of the Opposition.”
“The Foreign Secretary has rightly highlighted the UK’s unwavering commitment to our ally, Ukraine. Her Estonian counterpart recently said that “Russia wages war not only with missiles, but with narratives.” With that in mind, last week I sent a letter to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport about “Masha and the Bear”, a Rus…”
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“Instead, we need to see decisive action to support those facing the financial repercussions of the Conservatives’ lack of due diligence. Several excuses have been used to justify the lack of action by successive Governments. Cowboy builders have been blamed for applying foam without the necessary expertise of proper surveys. While that has certainly contributed to the damage, that cannot act as a “get out of jail free” card for the previous Conservative Government. There have been attempts to shift blame to the homeowner for using an installer that did not meet standards. In June 2022, when pressed on the possibility of redress for impacted homeowners, the Government argued that it was the responsibility of the installer and homeowner to decide whether to proceed with using spray foam insulation.”
“Prior to these conversations, the surveying industry had little knowledge of spray foam or how to adequately check its impact on roof timbers—that was what was leading to the blanket refusals. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Health and Safety Executive and insulation manufacturers have all worked to introduce protocols, which is a good first step to measure the impact of spray foam and ensure safe removal. It is imperative that we regulate rogue removal companies and stop them charging thousands of pounds to remove spray foam that could have been correctly installed. Despite the previous Government having run and funded the scheme, they took a hands-off approach to the issue. We must not see the new Government follow that same approach.”
“Earlier this year, the Health and Safety Executive published shocking data revealing that condensation could cause 25% of roof timber to decay within five years if spray foam was applied directly to roof tiles. However, the Insulation Manufacturers Association has warned that blanket bans on mortgages for homes with spray foam is leading to a new wave of rogue traders offering to remove foam for over-inflated prices, often causing greater damage in the process. It said that homeowners must not turn to cowboys for this removal service. When installed correctly by a regulated provider, spray foam is an effective form of insulation. It recommends that anyone with spray foam gets an independent assessment by a surveyor.”
“Tom applied for a voucher through a scheme that would cover two thirds of the cost of the upgrades and put in £1,000 of his own hard-earned money, too. After receiving a list of Government-approved installers, Tom and his family chose one that they believed met the standards to carry out the works. After the sale of the house fell through, Tom began investigating potential remedial works to remove the foam and make his home suitable for mortgage. It soon became apparent that there were no affordable options. Tom has reported spending £4,000 on removal of the spray foam insulation, while another constituent, Norma, has been told that she will likely need to have all the roof timbers replaced due to the severity of the damage.”
“My constituent Tom described the utter devastation he felt when the sale of his house fell through after surveyors discovered spray foam insulation. It was only once the buyer informed Tom that they would not be able to get a mortgage approved on the property that he learned of the dangers of this type of insulation. Without the availability of grant money, Tom and his family would never have considered installing spray foam insulation. However, they wanted to do their bit for the environment through the green homes grant scheme. There are lots of good people out there like Tom trying to make efforts to help reduce their carbon emissions and contribute to net zero, and they have fallen foul through no fault of their own.”
“There are important lessons to be learnt here to ensure future Government home improvement schemes do not have the same unintended consequences. Spray foam insulation has the potential to cause such severe damage that many mortgage lenders have issued blanket refusals. BBC research demonstrated the varied approach mortgage lenders are taking on the issue. Of the 20 largest mortgage providers, seven have said that they refuse to lend on any properties with any form of spray foam insulation. The other 13 stated that extra information and surveys would likely be required and that mortgages would be offered only on a case-by-case basis. That is adding additional costs to people when they come to mortgage, remortgage or sell their home.”
“Homeowners put faith in the Government’s recommendations and carried out this work with the promise of enhanced energy efficiency. Instead, they have been met with thousands of pounds of remedial works and difficulty in selling their properties. An unregulated trade of cowboy builders offering to carry out remedial work has also emerged. Homeowners are being convinced to spend thousands on improvements when they are not always necessary. The Government need a cross-departmental strategy to address the issues arising from the green homes grant voucher scheme. We must see action to support affected homeowners with a compensation scheme, regulation of removal companies and steps to tackle the blanket ban that some mortgage providers have placed on homes with the insulation.”
“The exact number of vouchers given out for use on spray foam insulation is unknown. However, almost 14,000 vouchers were used for loft and pitched roof insulation measures which could have included spray foam. Spray foam insulation is a form of liquid insulation applied with a spray gun, typically in roofs, lofts and attics. This is where the problem occurs. It has the potential to improve thermal efficiency if applied correctly. However, it can cause significant damage when it is not done correctly. Homeowners have reported problems in timber-framed roofs following installation. It restricts air circulation causing condensation that ultimately damages the property and has resulted in signs of decay and dampness in timber framed roofs.”
“The green homes grant voucher scheme was introduced in July 2020 under the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The scheme was part of the Department’s green recovery from the pandemic and promised to contribute to the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Some £1.5 billion of funding was made available by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to offer homeowners the opportunity to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency. Individual homeowners could apply for up to £5,000 of funding to cover two thirds of the cost of eligible energy efficiency measures. Between September 2020 and March 2021, just short of 50,000 vouchers were paid to homeowners that could be used for a variety of improvements, including heat pumps, energy efficient windows and doors and, importantly, spray foam insulation.”