Revealed: The defence buildings with flammable cladding

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has revealed which buildings within its estate have flammable cladding.

There are 755 UK defence buildings with sleeping accommodation that are either fully or partially covered in "combustible" cladding.

Twenty-seven of those are classed as high rises, defined as six floors or more, and are confirmed as "having an external walling system that contains combustible components".

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Defence minister Jeremy Quin has now revealed which sites make up the 27 buildings:

• 22 at HMNB Clyde
• 1 at Hyde Park Barracks
• 1 at Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham
• 2 at HMS Nelson
• 1 at HMS Drake

"[The] MOD has also identified a further 728 low-rise buildings that may potentially have an external walling system that contains combustible insulation," Mr Quin added, answering a question from Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey.

"Investigative work is ongoing."

In further written answers to Mr Healey, the defence minister added: "Ministry of Defence officials were first made aware that one Single Living Accommodation block at HMS Nelson was not compliant with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government guidance on cladding in July 2019.

"Twenty-seven high-rise buildings (defined as being six floors and over) have been confirmed as having an external walling system that contains combustible components. All 27 are Single Living Accommodation (SLA).

"MOD has also identified a further 728 low-rise buildings that may potentially have an external walling system that contains combustible insulation, of which 188 are SFA [Service Family Accommodation] and 567 are SLA which includes RFCA (Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations) and training facilities.

"The list of buildings in scope is being verified and investigative works progressed," he added.

John Healey has since said in a statement: "Four years on from the Grenfell tragedy, ministers have allowed a private contractor to cut the number [of] fire crews at HMNB Clyde despite knowing that 22 of the 27 high-rise buildings with flammable cladding are on that base.

"Ministers should now restore fire crews at HMNB Clyde to their full strength and urgently conduct a new fire risk assessment that considers the increased risk to Forces personnel being housed in accommodation with flammable cladding.

"Firm deadlines should also be set to remove all flammable cladding from all high-rise Forces accommodation."