Housing secretary Greg Clark has brought into force new laws which could see housebuilders banned from obtaining planning or building control approval if they fail to  adhere to government exhortations to fix historic cladding defects.

In what could be one of his last significant acts before a likely reshuffle under the new prime minister next week, Clark said that he had laid “commencement regulations” bringing into force powers under the Building Safety Act for a so-called “responsible actors” scheme.

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