January date set for completion of Building Safety Regulator’s transition

In a written statement delivered to the House of Commons, Samantha Dixon (Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy) observed: “In June, my department announced changes to the Building Safety Regulator. Today, I’m laying before the House draft regulations which will move the functions of the Building Safety Regulator out of the Health and Safety Executive to an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.”

The Labour MP for Chester North and Neston continued: “This change will position the Building Safety Regulator for the coming years. It will strengthen lines of accountability and give a dedicated focus to the Building Safety Regulator’s operations. This is an important first step towards establishing a single construction regulator, which was the lead recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report.”

Dixon concluded: “I’m grateful to the Health and Safety Executive for the leadership and experience it has brought to the establishment and early operations of the Building Safety Regulator, and for its ongoing support as this change is made.”

Annual Report

The Health and Safety Executive has run and nurtured the Building Safety Regulator for the last three years post-inception. In its new guise, the Building Safety Regulator may charge for giving advice, conducting research or providing other services.

The Building Safety Regulator must, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of each financial year, prepare an Annual Report in relation to how it has exercised its functions during that financial year.

On that note, the Building Safety Regulator’s financial year is each period of 12 months beginning with 1 April, but the first financial year is the period beginning 27 January 2026 and ending on 31 March 2026.

Delegation of functions

Until the end of December 2026, the Building Safety Regulator (or a committee) may delegate any of its functions to a member of staff of the Health and Safety Executive or to a member of staff of a Government department seconded or loaned to the Building Safety Regulator or the Health and Safety Executive.

Back in June (as reported by Fire Safety Matters), Andy Roe KFSM was appointed non-executive chair of a new Board of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to take on the functions of the Building Safety Regulator. Roe is supported by the new CEO for the Building Safety Regulator (namely Charlie Pugsley).