A government report into efforts being made to deal with dangerous cladding states that the amount of money needed to address all fire safety defects in buildings following the Grenfell fire three years ago is likely to cost up to £15bn.

The report, carried out by the housing, communities and local government committee, adds that the UK is home to 2,000 high-risk residential buildings with dangerous cladding,

In late May this year, the government announced that it had expanded the Building Safety Fund that has been put aside to deal with dangerous cladding from £600m to £1bn, which was then criticised for potentially covering only a third of costs.

The £15bn figure includes costs that go beyond cladding replacement, however, with the report stating that, “we believe there is no reason to fund the remediation of some fire safety defects but not others.”

It warns that if this money is not earmarked and spent, tens of thousands of residents will be sent “massive” bills for problems that are not their fault. This includes costs for insulation, fire breaks, alarm systems, fire doors, the installation of compartmentation, material replacement, and waking watch fire patrols.

The report says that it would be unfair to lay this burden on taxpayers only, and that “those responsible for the crisis” should contribute too, which includes construction companies, architects, inspectors and suppliers. Currently the government says that building owners should pay.

As well as this, the report lists an itinerary of issues stemming from both government, in the form of exclusions built into the current Building Safety Fund, and a lack of transparency from the private sector that is making reform difficult.

The committee says that it wants to see more use of compulsory purchase order powers to purchase freeholds of buildings that are particularly risky and have received no remedial work by December 2020. It goes on to say that these freeholds could be converted into commonholds, something the Law Commission has pushed for in the past.

The report also touches on a new reinsurance scheme and the physical and mental health toll of living in potentially dangerous buildings, stating that NHS support is essential.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee chair Clive Betts says: “Three years on from the Grenfell Tower disaster there are still thousands of homeowners living in buildings with some form of dangerous cladding.

“The financial and emotional toll has been significant, with temporary safety measures costing huge sums and the ongoing stress of living in a property that may not be safe. This is not good enough.

“It is clear that the £1bn Building Safety Fund will not be enough Too many risk being excluded by the criteria for accessing this support and the amount of money pledged is only enough to cover a fraction of the work needed.

“This should not just be a question of the government, and therefore the taxpayer, stepping in with a blank cheque. Those who have caused, and in some cases refuse to rectify, safety issues must be made to pay.

“It is time for the government to commit to end the scourge of dangerous cladding once and for all. A piecemeal approach that will see homeowners facing many more years of stress and financial hardship. This is not an option.”