MPs have voted against a ban on building owners making leaseholders foot the bill for fixing fire-safety issues.

Yesterday, in the House of Commons 320 Conservative MPs voted to block a House of Lords amendment to the Fire Safety Bill, which sought to protect leaseholders from being forced to pay for works to fix unsafe cladding and other fire risks until such a time as a statutory scheme has been set up.

The Lords amendment was supported by 30 Conservative rebels including former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith,195 Labour MPs and 30 MPs from other parties in yesterday’s vote, however it was ultimately defeated.

Housing minister Christopher Pincher argued against the Lords’ proposals, claiming that “although laudable in their intentions”, such a ban would be “unworkable and an inappropriate means to resolve a problem as highly complex as this”.

He warned that the arguments over the amendments risked delaying the introduction of fire safety rules to protect residents by up to a year.

Pincher said: “The Bill was introduced over a year ago. 

“We are almost at the point of getting it on the statute book, and it is vital that we remind ourselves of the fundamental purpose of what we are seeking to achieve—to provide much-needed legal clarification of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and direct the update of the fire risk assessments to ensure that they apply to structure, external walls and flat entrance doors.”

He added: “If we do not resolve the Bill this week, fire assessments will not cover those critical elements of which I spoke, and they may continue to be ignored by less responsible building owners. 

“Moreover, the fire and rescue services will be without the legal certainty that they need to take enforcement action.

“Ultimately, that will compromise the safety of many people living in multi-occupied residential buildings. 

“Without the clarification provided by the Bill, it will mean delaying implementation, possibly by a year, of a number of measures that will deliver the Grenfell inquiry recommendations.”

However, many MPs were unconvinced by his argument.

Labour MP for Croydon Sarah Jones responded: “Yet again, the government have decided to lay a motion to disagree with the Lords amendment. 

“This is a betrayal of the promise that ministers have made over 17 times that leaseholders will not be left to foot the bill. 

“The Minister’s argument that it would delay further works does not work.

“If the government have not managed to work out how to pursue the money from those responsible, why do they not do what is right and stop leaseholders footing the bill?

“The Bishop of St Albans’s amendment would buy the government some time. 

“It would protect leaseholders while the government come up with a longer-term plan. 

“We ask the Minister again, if he does not think that the proposed amendments are right as they are, why not amend them? 

“Why, when it is directly in their gift, will the government not pay to fix these problems and then go after the building companies and developers that are responsible? 

“Leaseholders deserve justice now.”