However, the process has not been working as intended. The process can be expensive and lasts for only five years, with costs often passed onto leaseholders.57 The process has been slow; the demand for the work to inspect external walls has outweighed the supply of the professionals with the skills to do so. This has been compounded by the difficulties these professionals have had in acquiring indemnity insurance to undertake the work.58 The Association of British Insurers wrote to us saying that the EWS1 form had been created without any consultation with the insurance industry.59 The scope has also drifted; we received written evidence to suggest that the process may be being used on buildings below 18 metres, beyond its intended remit of 18 metres and above.60 This 50 C&AG’s report, para 1.21 51 Q 49 52 Q 144 53 Qq 125–126 54 Building Societies Association (RDC0009), Local Government Association (RDC0003), Greater Manchester High Rise Task Force (RDC0014) 55 Q 138 56 Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Form EWS1: External Wall Fire Review, December 2019. 57 Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Cladding: progress of remediation, Session 2019–21, HC 172, 18 May 2020 [12 June 2020]. 58 Q 58; Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Cladding: progress of remediation, Session 2019–21, HC 172, 18 May 2020 [12 June 2020]. 59 Association of British Insurers (RDC0007) 60 UK Finance (RDC0010), National Fire Chiefs Council (RDC0008) 14 Progress in remediating dangerous cladding has been acknowledged by the Minister for Housing.61 The uncertainty by the sector is reflective of changes to departmental guidance in January 2020, which now includes the need to assess and manage the risk of external fire spread to buildings of any height.62