Awaab Ishak's parents welcome extension of law in his name after meeting Rayner
The Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has spoken with the parents of Awaab Ishak for the first time, ITV News has learned.
Two-year-old Awaab died In a mould-infested flat in Rochdale in December 2020 owned by housing association Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.
The family’s legal team, speaking on behalf of his parent's Faisal and Aisha, described the online video call as “positive and constructive” and welcomed the Labour government’s plan to extend Awaab’s Law to the private sector.
Awaab’s Law was brought in by the Conservative government last year as part of the landmark Social Housing Regulation Bill.
It requires landlords to fix hazards that pose a danger to tenants’ health with a strict, legal time limit, but the law only applies to properties in the social housing sector.
Awaab’s parents said they were encouraged by Labour’s plan to extend the law but would hold the new government to account for implementing it.
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“While we commend these remarks and the direction they signify, it is imperative that we maintain a critical eye on the implementation of these promises,” said Christian Weaver, the family’s Barrister and Kelly Darlington, their solicitor.
“We must ensure that these actions are not only planned but effectively executed to bring about real change.
“Furthermore, it is essential that these measures are enacted as soon as possible to prevent any further tragedies. The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated, and we will continue to advocate vigorously until Awaab’s Law is fully realised and enforced.”
Rayner expressed her sympathy to the Ishak family and said she will do “all we can to ensure something like this never happens again.”
She said she would work with the family to update them on progress in “their commitment to putting tenant safety first.”
In November 2022 an inquest heard how two-year-old Awaab Ishak suffered prolonged exposure to mould and died from a respiratory condition.
Awaab’s father Faisal had previously complained to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing about the mould and accused the housing association of racism in the handling of his complaints.
Senior coroner Joanne Kearsley said: "I'm sure I'm not alone in having thought, 'How does this happen? How, in the UK in 2020, does a two-year-old child die from exposure to mould in his home?'
"The tragic death of Awaab will and should be a defining moment for the housing sector in terms of increasing knowledge, increasing awareness and a deepening of understanding surrounding the issue of damp and mould."
Following the inquest then Housing Secretary Michael Gove joined ITV News on a visit of the Freehold estate where Awaab lived and died, and visited a pregnant woman living in the same block with the same problems.
She described how she had painted over the mould and feared bringing her unborn child into a property with inadequate living conditions.
Weeks later the government agreed to back the campaign by Awaab’s family for a law in his name to better protect tenants against landlords who fail or refuse to fix problems.
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