To ask the Minister of Finance whether his Department will take the lead in ensuring that unsafe cladding is removed from buildings in Northern Ireland.

In January 2021, I submitted a paper to the Executive in which I recommended that a Building Safety programme and supporting fund is progressed as a matter of urgency, so that citizens here are afforded the same level of fire protection as other devolved administrations. I also recommended that instead of a Department taking lead responsibility, different functions will be allocated to Departments depending on best fit. I await the outcome of my proposals.