Roundtable: Draft Building Safety Bill - Implications and Effect on Risk and Insurance: Watch on demand

Howden and Weightmans recently held a Roundtable event where they discussed the Draft Building Safety Bill. Hosted by Andy Broome of Howden and joined by Paul Lowe and Josephine Martin from Weightmans, they consider the implications for the sector including the effect on risk, and Insurance.

Agenda:

• Review of the bill and what it means for construction industry consultants
• Operation of PII and other Insurances in relation to new duties imposed by the bill
• Issues the industry faces in regards resource, in light of the requirements of the bill
• What projects the bill affects
• Timescales of bill
• Business opportunity re the bill for new income streams

Paul Lowe, Partner, Weightmans

Paul has experience of advising in numerous types of construction and engineering projects. This includes advice in connection with project insurance arrangements and acting for insurers when claims are advanced against their insured clients. He is a member of the Society of Construction Law (SCL) and The Technology and Construction Solicitors' Association (TeCSA).

He is no stranger to the Building Safety Bill having been invited by the cabinet office to assist in its development and, in particular, to look at and advise on the impact of that bill in terms of how it is likely to affect the insurance sector. He is also currently representing one of the core participants in the Grenfell enquiry.

Paul outlines the key insights of the Building Safety Bill itself and talks us through the background to the bill, detail about what it consists of, the main component parts and how it operates.

He concludes the session by discussing what the changes will mean for Architects. The bill is looking to create a climate where there is a safer, more efficient industry with less claims and fewer losses to insurers so what might that mean in terms of insurances?  

Josephine Martin, Legal Consultant and former Barrister

Jo is a legal consultant with extensive experience in the fields of construction, insurance and professional indemnity litigation, as well as general commercial disputes. She has advised insurer clients in relation to coverage disputes, subrogation claims and the construction and interpretation of policy terms, including aggregation and notification clauses.

In this session, Jo will take you through the reformed building safety system, outlining the main headline changes. She outlines the development of a new statutory regulator, a heavy hitting body with wide ranging powers and who will effectively take over as the building control authority for higher risk buildings. She also discusses the role of duty holders and their responsibilities and outlines the framework of the three new ‘gateway’ stages and what these will involve.