The use of controversial EWS1 forms by mortgage lenders grew at the end of last year, despite former housing secretary Robert Jenrick claiming last summer to have secured agreement to end their use in mid-rise housing blocks.

Government data released this morning shows that the fire safety assessments – required by lenders as part of their valuations of properties deemed at risk in the wake of Grenfell – were required on 9% of all apartment transactions in the last quarter of the year, up from 7% the prior quarter.

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