Maria has been successful in securing a Debate in Parliament about the quality of new build housing and the need for more transparency around building control standards. She used the debate to highlight problems with the building inspection process in a number of cases in her consituency, where  newly built homes have been found to have significant defects, despite having been signed off by a building inspector as meeting expected construction standards.

Maria said: “Buying a new home is the biggest investment most people make, and buying a brand new home should be the hassle-free option. But this is not always the case and too many of my constituents have come to me about really serious problems with their new houses. I am calling for greater transparency around the quality of house building and for it to be easier and quicker for new home owners to get faults remedied.”

“There are many different and overlapping processes designed to achieve the right standards, and the role of the building inspector is an important part of this. But they need to be more accountable for what they do, so that home buyers can clearly understand how the quality of their new home has been ensured.”

The full debate can be seen at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm150720/debtext/150720-0004.htm#15072019002048