Policy paper

Building Regulations Advisory Committee: golden thread report

Published 21 July 2021

1. Introduction

1.1 This report provides an overview of the development of golden thread policy, and how it has been progressed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), supported by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) golden thread working group, and key stakeholders from across the built environment and housing sector. This report provides greater clarity on the golden thread policy and the changes it will require of industry. It outlines the high-level golden thread requirements including the golden thread definition and principles, and how digital standards will underpin implementation of the golden thread of information.

Background

1.2 Following the Grenfell tower tragedy, the government appointed Dame Judith Hackitt to lead an independent review of building regulations and fire safety. In her report, Building a safer future, Dame Judith recommended the introduction of a ‘golden thread’ as a tool to manage buildings as holistic systems and allow people to use information to safely and effectively design, construct and operate their buildings. She stated that ‘a robust golden thread of key information’ should be ‘passed across to future building owners to underpin more effective safety management throughout the building life cycle’. Dame Judith set out that these recommendations were to address the problems within the industry of key information not being effectively managed, or even available throughout the life cycle of the building, including when there is a change in ownership. Dame Judith was clear that as a result of these issues, the relevant people do not have the information they require to ensure their buildings’ safety.

1.3 The government committed to implementing Dame Judith Hackitt’s golden thread recommendations, recognising that this would be an integral component of the wider building safety programme. The government set out that the golden thread will apply to all buildings within scope of the new more stringent building safety regime, being introduced through the Building Safety Bill.

1.4 Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government have previously specified that the golden thread will ^{[footnote 1]}:

• ‘use digital tools and systems’ to enable key information ‘to be stored and used effectively to ensure safer buildings’
• support dutyholders and Accountable Persons throughout the life cycle of a building (during the gateways process, building registration process, the safety case approach and throughout occupation) ‘by recording the original design intent and ensuring subsequent changes to buildings are captured and preserved’
• incorporate all the information needed to understand a building and how it should be managed so that the building and above all the people in and around a building are safe, both now and in the future
• ‘make information easily available to the right people at the right time’
• put in place a new higher standard of information-keeping which will support the building safety regulator in being assured buildings are being managed safely

BRAC golden thread working group

1.5 To support MHCLG and HSE, as the future home of the Building Safety Regulator, in developing golden thread policy, the Building Regulations Advisory Committee formed the BRAC golden thread working group.

1.6 BRAC has taken a close interest in the development of the golden thread, recognising its long-term role and importance in the life cycle management of buildings and its significance in the new building safety regime. The BRAC golden thread working group was established in November 2020, with full MHCLG and HSE support. The working group was drawn from the BRAC membership and supplemented with industry co-opted experts following discussions with the Industry Safety Steering Group, chaired by Dame Judith Hackitt, which recognised that BRAC was in a key position to advise MHCLG and HSE on this work.

1.7 The working group brings together experts in digital information management, operation of residential buildings and portfolios, fire safety, design and construction of buildings, building and housing and workplace legislation (a full membership list is at Annex A).

1.8 The group was created with 4 key objectives:

• to provide expertise from across the built environment and housing sectors to work with MHCLG and HSE officials on developing achievable and sustainable golden thread requirements
• to facilitate active industry engagement in developing the golden thread policy building on the UK’s world leading standards for digital information management in the built environment
• to support MHCLG and HSE in driving the implementation of the golden thread within the built environment and housing sectors
• to promote the culture of building safety and accountability required to adopt and manage a golden thread across all relevant sectors

1.9 The group serves as the primary source of advice to officials on golden thread policy and facilitates MHCLG’s and HSE’s engagement with industry. Given the importance of this work, it is essential that there is transparency and openness on development of policy. We have therefore set out the governance of the group – and how it reports to the Department (a governance diagram is at Annex B).

1.10 This report provides an overview of the progress of the BRAC golden thread working group.

2. New more stringent regulatory regime

2.1 The government is introducing a new more stringent regulatory regime, for buildings 18 metres and over or 7 storeys and over, whichever is reached first, through the Building Safety Bill and proposed draft secondary legislation. As part of the more stringent regulatory regime, the government is going to require that dutyholders and Accountable Persons for buildings in scope of the new more stringent regime create and maintain a golden thread, throughout a building’s life cycle.

2.2 The golden thread is both:

• the information about a building that allows someone to understand a building and keep it safe
• the information management to ensure the information is accurate, easily understandable, can be accessed by those who need it and is up to date

2.3 In occupied higher-risk buildings, the golden thread of information will ensure building owners have to hand well-documented and accurate evidence of their risk assessments and safety arrangements, as well as the documentation supporting these. This will make it easier for them to manage relevant safety information and provide assurance to the regulator and residents which demonstrates that effective and proportionate measures are in place to manage risk and keep residents safe, without the need for further costly surveys or discovery work. The golden thread will support the safety case approach the government is introducing by ensuring information is accessible, accurate and up to date. Under the safety case approach, those accountable for high-rise and in-scope buildings must ensure reasonable steps are taken to manage fire and structural safety risks through prevention, control and ongoing management, taking into account both building safety and cost. They must set out and justify their approach in their safety case report, which will be assessed by the Building Safety Regulator, driving positive safety outcomes.

2.4 The new regime applies to buildings that are at least 18 metres in height or have at least 7 storeys and have at least two residential units. It also applies to care homes and hospitals meeting the same height threshold during design and construction, but not during occupation.

2.5 The new more stringent regime will place legal responsibilities on those who commission building work, participate in the design and construction process and those who are responsible for managing structural and fire safety in higher-risk buildings when they are occupied. These people will be called dutyholders during design and construction, and the Accountable Person when the building is occupied. When a building is being refurbished this may involve both dutyholders and an Accountable Person as many buildings will remain occupied during refurbishment.

2.6 It will be the duty of those people who are responsible for a building to put in place and maintain a golden thread. Having a golden thread will mean that those people responsible will have easily accessible, reliable, up to date and accurate information. Without this information, it is very difficult to manage buildings safely. The golden thread will ensure that the people responsible for these buildings have the right information at the right time to ensure that their building is safe.

2.7 The government intend for the information and documents required through other parts of the more stringent regulatory regime (for instance the gateways, registration and certification, safety case, mandatory occurrence reporting and information to support residents’ engagement) to be part of the golden thread.

2.8 The government will set out the specific requirements for the golden thread in secondary legislation. The regulations will set out the information that has to be stored in the golden thread and how the information must be kept. The government will publish these regulations and additional guidance in draft for consultation at a later stage. In design and construction and refurbishment the golden thread should contain the information needed to demonstrate compliance with specified building regulations (required through the gateways or refurbishment process). When the building is completed this information will be handed over to the person responsible for the completed building (who is called the Accountable Person).

2.9 In occupied buildings the golden thread should include the information needed to ensure the safety of the building and its residents. The golden thread will include the information and documents produced for registration and certification, safety case and safety case report, mandatory occurrence reporting and resident engagement. Buildings which are newly built and have gone through the gateways process will also have the information produced through the gateway process.

2.10 For buildings going through prescribed refurbishment the documents approved by the regulator under building control applications for building work in existing higher-risk buildings will need to be stored in the golden thread.

Golden thread legislation and planned publications

2.11 The powers to mandate the golden thread can be found in clauses 32 (section 1D), 88, 89 and 90 of the Building Safety Bill^{[footnote 2]} which is currently in Parliament. These clauses lay out the high-level requirement that a golden thread must be put in place for all buildings in scope of the new more stringent regime. MHCLG will be publishing more detailed requirements in secondary legislation (regulations), which will be supported by guidance (see 2.13).

2.12 MHCLG plans to consult on the golden thread secondary legislation and guidance in due course.

2.13 Golden thread in legislation.

Primary Legislation

The Building Safety Bill: Clauses 32 (section 1D), 88, 89 and 90 put a legal duty on dutyholders and Accountable Persons to create, obtain, store and share documents and information about their building, in a prescribed format.

Secondary Legislation

Golden Thread Regulations: Regulations will define the principles the dutyholder or Accountable Person must follow in maintaining and storing their golden thread information. They will also define the information, data and documents that should be stored in the golden thread. This information will be created through other processes in the new regime e.g. the gateways, safety case and resident strategy.

Guidance

Golden Thread Guidance: Guidance on implementing the golden thread will sit underneath the regulations. It will lay out a best practise approach to creating and maintaining a golden thread. It will provide dutyholders and Accountable Persons with a practical way to meet the legal duties placed upon them by the primary and secondary legislation. The guidance will also show how relevant existing standards can be applied specifically to buildings in scope of the new more stringent regime for the purpose of meeting golden thread requirements.

More detail is provided on this in section 4.

3. Golden thread definition

3.1 The BRAC golden thread working group worked closely with MHCLG and HSE to develop and agree the golden thread definition and principles. They have been tested amongst a cross section of industry, and residents to ensure they are robust and sustainable.

3.2 The definition and principles are key to understanding the golden thread and will underpin the secondary legislation MHCLG plans to publish. This will be supported by guidance which will provide advice on implementation of the golden thread and how to meet the legislative requirements.

3.3 Members of the BRAC golden thread working group have previously shared an earlier version of the golden thread definition with the sector, to encourage discussion on the golden thread and provide industry with some early clarity on what the golden thread requirements are at a high-level. Golden thread policy has progressed since this definition was shared and this has required some minor changes to the definition and principles. Below is the updated golden thread definition and principles.

Golden thread definition

Summary

The golden thread is both the information that allows you to understand a building and the steps needed to keep both the building and people safe, now and in the future.

Full definition

1. The golden thread will hold the information that those responsible for the building require to:

• show that the building was compliant with applicable building regulations during its construction and provide evidence of meeting the requirements of the new building control route throughout the design and construction and refurbishment of a building
• identify, understand, manage and mitigate building safety risks in order to prevent or reduce the severity of the consequences of fire spread or structural collapse throughout the life cycle of a building

2. The information stored in the golden thread will be reviewed and managed so that the information retained, at all times, achieves these purposes.

3. The golden thread covers both the information and documents and the information management processes (or steps) used to support building safety.

4. The golden thread information should be stored as structured digital information. It will be stored, managed, maintained and retained in line with the golden thread principles (see below). The government will specify digital standards which will provide guidance on how the principles can be met.

5. The golden thread information management approach will apply through design, construction, occupation, refurbishment and ongoing management of buildings. It supports the wider changes in the regime to promote a culture of building safety.

6. Building safety should be taken to include the fire and structural safety of a building and the safety of all the people in or in the vicinity of a building (including emergency responders).

7. Many people will need to access the golden thread to update and share golden thread information throughout a building’s lifecycle, including but not limited to building managers, architects, contractors and many others. Information from the golden thread will also need to be shared by the Accountable Person with other relevant people including residents and emergency responders.

3.4 This definition sets out clearly that the creation of the golden thread is about supporting building safety by ensuring the right people have the right information at the right time. This meets the ambition that Dame Judith set out that the golden thread would need to deliver.

3.5 Underpinning the golden thread definition, the BRAC working group have produced a set of golden thread principles. We have worked closely with MHCLG and the intention is for these principles to inform the golden thread secondary legislation. The principles set out more detail on the requirements that dutyholders/Accountable Persons will need to meet for their golden thread to meet the government’s expectations.

The golden thread principles

1. Accurate and Trusted: the dutyholder/Accountable Person/Building Safety Managers and other relevant persons (e.g. contractors) must be able to use the golden thread to maintain and manage building safety and ensure compliance with building regulations. The Regulator should also be able to use this information as part of their work to assess the compliance with building regulations, the safety of the building and the operator’s safety case report, including supportive evidence, and to hold people to account. The golden thread will be a source of evidence to show how building safety risks are understood and how they are being managed on an ongoing basis. The golden thread must be accurate and trusted so that relevant people use it. The information produced will therefore have to be accurate, structured, and verified, requiring a clear change control process that sets out how and when information is updated and who should update and check the information.

2. Residents feeling secure in their homes: residents will be provided information from the golden thread – so that they have accurate and trusted information about their home. This will also support residents in holding Accountable Persons and Building Safety Managers to account for building safety. A properly maintained golden thread should support Accountable Persons in providing residents the assurance that their building is being managed safely.

3. Culture change: the golden thread will support culture change within the industry as it will require increased competence and capability, different working practices, updated processes and a focus on information management and control. The golden thread should be considered an enabler for better and more collaborative working.

4. Single source of truth: the golden thread will bring all information together in a single place meaning there is always a ‘single source of truth’. It will record changes (i.e. updates, additions or deletions to information, data, documents and plans), including the reason for change, evaluation of change, date of change, and the decision-making process. This will reduce the duplication of information (email updates and multiple documents) and help drive improved accountability, responsibility and a new working culture. Persons responsible for a building are encouraged to use common data environments to ensure there is controlled access to a single source of truth.

5. Secure: the golden thread must be secure, with sufficient protocols in place to protect personal information and control access to maintain the security of the building or residents. It should also comply with current GDPR legislation where required.

6. Accountable: the golden thread will record changes (i.e. updates, additions or deletions to information, data, documents and plans), when these changes were made, and by who. This will help drive improved accountability. The new regime is setting out clear duties for dutyholders and Accountable Person for maintaining the golden thread information to meet the required standards. Therefore, there is accountability at every level – from the Client/Accountable Person to those designing, building or maintaining a building.

7. Understandable/consistent: the golden thread needs to support the user in their task of managing building safety and compliance with building regulations. The information in the golden thread must be clear, understandable and focused on the needs of the user. It should be presented in a way that can be understood, and used by, users. To support this, dutyholders/Accountable person should where possible make sure the golden thread uses standard methods, processes and consistent terminology so that those working with multiple buildings can more easily understand and use the information consistently and effectively.

8. Simple to access (accessible): the golden thread needs to support the user in their task of managing building safety and therefore the information in the golden thread must be accessible so that people can easily find the right information at the right time. This means that the information needs to be stored in a structured way (like a library) so people can easily find, update and extract the right information. To support this the government will set out guidance on how people can apply digital standards to ensure their golden thread meets these principles.

9. Longevity/durability and shareability of information: the golden thread information needs to be formatted in a way that can be easily handed over and maintained over the entire lifetime of a building. In practical terms, this is likely to mean that it needs to align with the rules around open data and the principles of interoperability – so that information can be handed over in the future and still be accessed. Information should be able to be shared and accessed by contractors who use different software and if the building is sold the golden thread information must be accessible to the new owner. This does not mean everything about a building and its history needs to be kept, the golden thread must be reviewed to ensure that the information within it is still relevant and useful.

10. Relevant/proportionate: preserving the golden thread does not mean everything about a building and its history needs to be kept and updated from inception to disposal. The objective of the golden thread is building safety and therefore if information is no longer relevant to building safety it does not need to be kept. The golden thread, the changes to it and processes related to it must be reviewed periodically to ensure that the information comprising it remains relevant and useful.

4. How can industry adopt the golden thread?

4.1 The primary and secondary legislation will be supported by guidance on the implementation of the golden thread for buildings in scope of the new more stringent building safety regime. The guidance will set out how dutyholders and Accountable Persons can ensure their golden thread meets the definition and principles. As set out above the golden thread definition and principles will inform the secondary legislation that MHCLG will produce and consult on in due course.

4.2 The golden thread is both the information and the information management process. There are several British and International Standards that set out the approach to digital information management, which are used by industry and are available and appropriate to implement the golden thread. The UK BIM Framework, which has been developed by industry over several years could also support the implementation of the golden thread, in combination with other existing standards related to the housing sector. As set out in the Construction Playbook, the government already requires buildings which are publicly procured to adhere to the UK BIM Framework.

4.3 Digital standards are key to creating and maintaining an effective golden thread. To successfully achieve a golden thread which meets legislative requirements, dutyholders and Accountable Persons will need to have strong, standardised and holistic information management systems in place throughout a building’s life cycle.

4.4 There are many existing standards which could support duty holders and Accountable Persons in developing and maintaining a golden thread. However, there are no current standards which only specifically apply to higher-risk buildings in scope of the new more stringent building safety regime. Also, as set out in the government response to the Building a safer future consultation, many stakeholders consider that current standards focus on the design and construction phase, rather than on creating and maintaining a digital golden thread throughout a building’s life cycle, as the Building Safety Bill requires. We are working with MHCLG and HSE on producing guidance that will show how relevant existing standards can be applied specifically to buildings in scope of the new more stringent regime for the purpose of meeting golden thread requirements.

4.5 The guidance will detail how the various standards can be applied to work together and how the lessons and processes set out in these standards can be applied to higher-risk buildings. It will explain how those responsible for creating the golden thread for a building can apply the relevant standards in conjunction with existing legacy processes and systems without mandating, or prescribing, any specific technology or software.

4.6 It will also set out advice on:

• the process for how dutyholders and Accountable Persons can define the information they need to manage building safety risks at different stages of the building life cycle (project milestones)
• the process for agreeing who is responsible for information gathering, production, checking and procedures;
• the process for agreeing the applicable standards
• the legal responsibilities of dutyholders and Accountable Persons – and the principles of accountability
• how dutyholders and Accountable Persons should plan for what information they will need to share, when they will need to share it, who they will need to share it with, how they will share it and why they should share information
• how dutyholders and Accountable Persons can deliver on the following golden thread principles: ‘single source of truth’, ‘understandable/simple to access’, ‘longevity/durability’
• practical details to support implementing Common Data Environments and effective information exchange and interoperability
• how to manage information over the life cycle of the building, how this aligns other parts of the more stringent regulatory regime and how to embed good principles of information management in an organisation
• practical guidance on how to ensure your information management delivers on the golden thread principles: ‘accurate/trusted’, ‘accessible’, ‘secure’ and ‘relevant/proportionate’
• how dutyholders and Accountable Persons should assess information to ensure it can be shared with residents (assessment against security of building/local area, security of residents, privacy and GDPR, commercial confidentiality/intellectual property)

4.7 The guidance may also set out best practice examples for implementing a golden thread. However, this does not mean there are not alternative methods for implementing an effective golden thread.

5. What should industry be doing now?

5.1 Together with MHCLG and HSE, BRAC recognises the need to go beyond regulatory change to deliver fundamental, lasting building safety. In addition to legislation, significant and immediate industry ownership and culture change is essential. Implementation of a successful golden thread requires a culture of building safety to be at the forefront of safety and information management throughout the life cycle of a building and embedded within organisations.

5.2 Cultural change is pivotal to industry reform. The working group is working closely with MHCLG and HSE to take forward work on cultural change and communications related to the golden thread. We are working with key groups including the Building a Safer Future Charter and Construction Industry Council, enabling us to begin supporting this pivotal culture change work.

5.3 The working group has been and will continue to:

• communicate the definition and principles of the golden thread
• support industry to develop the digital competence needed to implement the golden thread
• promote development of a culture where building safety is the core priority for those interacting with a building throughout its lifecycle

5.4 A key part of this work is setting out the purpose and outcomes we collectively want the golden thread to achieve and how it can support building safety. The working group is undertaking industry engagement, speaking at webinars and online events and writing articles for the sector. These, alongside this report, will provide delegates, readers, stakeholders and dutyholders with clear information about the policy and what the golden thread entails, as well as insights into the changes in practice that it will require.

5.5 Through this work we want to encourage industry to make changes now. We are clear the golden thread needs to be owned by industry. The golden thread will support the sector in managing their buildings safely. As part of this pivotal culture change, the opportunity must be taken to maximise industry awareness and understanding of the value of data, wider opportunities and digital vision for the sector, and to drive the adoption of these technologies across the construction supply chain. The golden thread not only allows understanding of a building now and in the future, but can play a key part in the facilitation and acceleration of wider digital transformation in the built environment, which will deliver economic growth, better public services, and help deliver lower carbon emissions and greater sustainability. It is therefore vital that the right approach to golden thread is adopted now, to deliver building safety and to support wider digital transformation.

5.6 Digital is becoming part of everything we do, and significant work has already been undertaken to progress the digital transformation of the UK’s built environment, in order to improve performance and outcomes. Although the golden thread has a specific application in the context of building safety, its underpinning premise and development should be viewed as part of the growing and widespread recognition that good quality, verifiable and maintained data delivers immense ‘value’ by providing solid insights to support decision making. In short, the golden thread does not sit in isolation, but forms part of a broad national developing ecosystem of digital and data centric tools which harness the power of data to deliver benefits to all. This journey continues and key work includes embedding the UK BIM Framework, delivering data interoperability between systems and building projects, and taking forward the National Digital Twin Programme.

5.7 Whilst it will take many years to embed these changes in the sector it is essential that those who will need to put in place a golden thread for their building understand what is required and can begin to prepare for the legal duty to provide it.

5.8 We want to encourage the sector to begin preparing for the upcoming legislation now, by considering the way they currently manage and exchange information.

6. Conclusion

6.1 The golden thread is a key part of the new more stringent regime for building safety in higher-risk buildings. It will be crucial to supporting industry in managing their buildings, supporting residents in understanding how safety is managed in their buildings and enabling them to feel safe and supporting the new building safety regulator in assessing the safety of higher-risk buildings.

6.2 The principles for the golden thread set out in this paper are also applicable, relevant and will enhance the management and safety of other buildings. The golden thread principles and the standards and guidance that support them are equally compatible with the requirement of the ‘Construction Playbook’ for the use of the UK BIM Framework in public sector projects, where there is an expectation that the Framework will be applied unless there are compelling reasons to justify an alternative approach.

6.3 As the Building Safety Bill continues its passage through Parliament the BRAC golden thread working group will continue to support MHCLG, HSE and industry in developing and understanding the golden thread. The working group will be focused on:

• supporting government in developing the golden thread secondary legislation package and guidance
• working with government to develop the ‘guide’ to applying standards to higher risk buildings to create a golden thread and continuing to investigate relevant British and international standards and mapping how these fit together
• continuing to promote the necessary culture change across the sector
• increasing communications on golden thread across the sector to support them in understanding how they can prepare for the upcoming legislation

Annex A: Membership list

Chair

Dr Hywel Davies

• Technical Director, Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
• Chair, Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC)
• Chair, British Standards Institution (BSI) Committee B/555, Construction design, modelling and data exchange

Members

Aman Sharma

• Managing Director, Totus Digital
• Deputy Chair, Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC)
• Chair, British Standards Institution (BSI) FSB/1/1/-/1, Development of BS 8644 – Digital Management of Fire Safety Information

Dr Anne Kemp

• Technical Director, Atkins
• Chair, UK BIM Alliance
• Convenor, BS EN ISO 19650 series

Anthony Burd

• Associate Director, Head of Built Environment, British Standards Institution (BSI)
• Board Member, Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC)

Anthony Taylor

• Proprietor, Resolve Risk Ltd
• Chair, Working Group 8 (BSM)
• Interim Chair Building Safety Alliance
• Member of BSI committee CPB/1 Competence in the Built Environment, Member Steering Group PAS 8673 (BSM)

Dr Barry Blackwell

• Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Policy lead for Building Information Modelling

Carl Collins

• Head of Digital Engineering, Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
• Member of BSI B/555 and FSB/1/1/-/1 Committees

Casey Rutland

• Director, digitalgreen
• UK BIM Alliance, Vice Chair
• Chair, buildingSMART UK & Ireland

Chris Lees

• Technical Director, OSCRE
• Chief Executive, Data Clan
• Chair, Housing Asset Data Group

Gavin Pierson

• Director of Building Safety, Guinness Partnership

Jack Ostrofsky

• Head of Quality and Design, Southern Housing Group
• Chair, BIM4 Housing Associations

James Banner

• Head of Contracts, Orbit Housing

Jacqui Bateson

• Managing Director, Housing Associations Charitable Trust (HACT)

John Brett

• Director of Health and Safety Compliance, Estates and Management

Johnny Furlong

• BIM Strategy Lead, L&Q Group

Jon Vanstone

• Chair, Interim Industry Competence Committee (IICC)
• Chair, Competent Persons Forum
• Board Member, Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC)
• Director, Tech Influence

Julia Evans

• CEO, Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA)
• Deputy Chair, Building Regulations Advisory Committee BRAC

Michael McLaughlin

• Digital Lead, Housing Associations Charitable Trust

Neil Yeomans

• Head of Customer Safety, Orbit Housing

Nick Nisbet

• Director, AEC3
• Vice Chair, buildingSMART UK & Ireland

Paul Nash

• Past President, Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
• Member, Industry Safety Steering Group (ISSG)

Peter Caplehorn

• Chief Executive, Construction Productions Association (CPA)

Richard Clark

• Building Safety Programme, National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC)

Rob Wray

• Executive Director for Research, Dataclan

Simon Lewis

• Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP

Susan Johnson

• Non Executive Director, Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Terry Stocks

• Information Management Consultant, Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB)
• Director, F+G

Vicki Reynolds

• Chief Technology Officer, i3PT and CertCentral SaaS
• Global Vice Chair, Women in BIM

Annex B: Governance

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) lead on golden thread policy within the Building Safety Bill.

MHCLG works alongside the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE will be the home of the future building safety regulator and lead on operationalising the new building safety regime.

The Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) reports into MHCLG. BRAC is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by MHCLG. BRAC has a statutory duty to advise secretary of state in England on making building regulations and setting standards for the design and construction of buildings. BRAC set up the BRAC golden thread working group to include main BRAC members and wider industry experts. All outputs on the golden thread are fed to the main BRAC committee.

The BRAC Golden thread working group supports MHCLG and HSE in developing golden thread policy They manage and facilitate government engagement with the wider sector, to manage and promote culture change. All outputs on the golden thread are fed to the main BRAC committee mentioned above.

The BRAC Golden thread working group facilitates engagement with industry by:

• Providing oversight on the Golden Thread Initiative. The GTI is being run by L&Q, to test current golden thread policy and feed recommendations into the working group.
• Engaging with Industry Bodies. The working group is engaging with membership organisations from across the sector to improve understanding of the golden thread
• Looking at other Industry Initiatives. The working group is exploring existing work happening across the sector, looking at best practise implementation.
• Looking at existing Digital Standards. The working group is exploring digital standards relevant to the golden thread, across the sector.

1. Building a safer future implementation plan; A reformed building safety regulatory system: government response to the ‘Building a safer future’ consultation ↩

2. Note these are the relevant clauses and numbers in the Bill currently being considered by Parliament. Subject to Parliamentary scrutiny and potential amendments these clauses and numbers may change. ↩