Burnley MP Antony Higginbotham calls on Parliament to help seek justice for residents chased for tens of thousands after SSB Law goes bust.
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00:00 tens of thousands of pounds. That's the bill that has landed on the doors of a
00:05 number of my constituents, but according to a BBC report, constituents of
00:10 honourable and right honourable members certainly across the north of England.
00:14 The bills relate to cavity wall insulation that residents had installed
00:20 using a government grant. That cavity wall insulation was defective, caused
00:24 damp, mould and damage to property. When no fee lawyers got in touch,
00:31 residents took up the offer. That proceeded through the courts, they were
00:38 told they wouldn't have to pay and a law firm based in Sheffield, SSB Law, has now
00:44 collapsed. There was no insurance policy for residents and they have now been hit
00:50 with legal costs because of the collapse of SSB Law. Now I understand that the SRA
00:56 has done a forensic investigation last year and they're now investigating it
01:01 again, but could I enlist the help of the Leader of the House to get justice for
01:07 those residents who have no means to pay the tens of thousands of pounds they're
01:12 now being asked for, when they thought they were doing the right thing to get
01:16 cavity wall insulation and then to put it right after it went wrong?
01:21 Well that is an appalling situation, I'm very sorry to hear about it. I understand
01:28 that this issue has been reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority and that
01:33 there is an investigation into the matters that have been raised and the
01:39 Honourable Gentleman I'm sure will be supporting his constituents with regard
01:44 to any complaints they wish to make to the Legal Ombudsman and the Solicitors
01:49 Regulation Authority. He will know that Justice Orwell's is scheduled to take
01:56 place on the 20th of February, but I also think that the Department for Leveling
02:02 Up Housing and Communities may also be able to assist perhaps with some of the
02:07 schemes that they have in place to help regenerate communities and tackle
02:14 some of these issues. So I will write to that department and ask them if they can
02:18 assist the Honourable Gentleman.
02:21 [BLANK_AUDIO]