You may be aware that an amendment to the Building Safety Bill was tabled in the Lords on Tuesday 22 March which contained key detail in regards to the position of Approved Inspectors.

Griffiths & Armour designed, and for some 30-years, have managed an insurance scheme for Approved Inspectors which is approved by DLUHC (was MHCLG and others before them) as being compliant with their prescribed Insurance Criteria.

Over recent months we have been particularly aware of the need to continue to work with government and insurers to address the challenges of the Professional Indemnity insurance market, both for construction professionals generally, and in particular for Approved Inspectors. As many will know, the mandatory criteria and restrictions imposed on insurers have led to a loss of insurer participation leading to real concerns about the continued availability of prescribed cover in both the short and longer term.

As a result of these challenges, we have provided objective contribution to discussions to try to find a solution to this significant supply and demand mismatch, and in particular to avoid a situation where Approved Inspectors are no longer able to purchase the insurance products they require to practise.

We understand that the amendment that has now been tabled to the Building Safety Bill would mean the removal of the insurance criteria that currently applies to Approved Inspectors, and in particular, the need to obtain cover through an Approved Scheme. If approved, this change would allow you to purchase your insurance cover in the same way as all other construction professionals going forward. This is a development that we support, as natural market forces are an important component in our ability to provide the outcomes that you require.

We are pleased to be able to confirm that our Approved Scheme remains fully operational and will continue to offer renewal terms to our Approved Inspector clients through any transition period. As you would expect we will also be putting plans in place to ensure that we capitalise on the changes in specification for the benefit of our clients. A new insurance landscape is necessary to safeguard the future of the profession and we remain committed to continuing to offer the appropriate cover and service provision that will see that our clients remain well served in what continues to be a challenging risk environment for the construction industry and the AI community.