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The Construction Products Association (CPA) has hit back at Michael Gove who this morning accused materials manufacturers of using the scale of the cladding crisis as an 鈥渆xcuse to do nothing鈥�.

The industry body said it had worked with a 鈥渟incere desire鈥� to answer the housing secretary鈥檚 request for contributions towards a 拢4bn cladding fund but has been unable to do so because there are still too many 鈥渦nknowns鈥� about the level of funding required.

In , the CPA said there was 鈥渦ncertainty and concern鈥� over a lack of data on how many homes are affected by building safety issues and that a 鈥渞obust and trustworthy鈥� assessment of each dwelling was needed to an agreed standard.

It added: 鈥淒espite our considerable effort and numerous lengthy detailed discussions to get actions moving, it has not been possible to gain widespread support to enable the industry to sign up for a voluntary funding scheme.鈥�

Earlier, Gove said: 鈥淟easeholders do not have the luxury of waiting years for every building to be assessed before funding is committed.鈥�

The dispute follows a dramatic breakdown in talks between the government and the construction products sector over how much manufacturers should pay for cladding remediation costs.

The housing secretary said he considered negotiations with the sector to have 鈥渃oncluded鈥� and would now do 鈥渨hatever it takes鈥� to hold products firms to account, including pursuing them through the courts.

Gove said the sector had failed to 鈥渟how leadership鈥� by not agreeing to a funding settlement and warned there would be 鈥渟ignificant commercial and reputational consequences for those firms that have not stepped up鈥�.

But the CPA said this afternoon that housebuilders鈥� 鈥渄irect connectivity with their buildings is far more manageable than that for product manufacturers [who] will be at the end of a long supply chain鈥�.

In, the CPA said: 鈥淎t this point in time, the construction supply chain has made it clear to the CPA that, given the aforementioned uncertainties and lack of clear information, a consensus is lacking for any model of remediation funding beyond a 鈥榩olluter pays鈥� model that is limited to the cladding and insulation sector. 

鈥淥nce key information and clarification can be provided as set out above, we can assist the Government further in this endeavour.鈥�

The government said 35 housebuilders have now signed up to its cladding pledge to fix building safety issues on residential blocks.

However, the executive chair of the Home Builders Federation Stewart Baseley said other parts of the building industry needed to put their hands in their pockets as well.

Stewart Baseley added: 鈥淚 think the government should bear some of it [the costs] because I think government has been involved in this. But I think other actors who are equally involved in this - construction product manufacturers, contractors, freeholders, overseas developers [also should]. The candid truth is the government sees us as a relatively soft target because we鈥檙e larger UK taxpaying companies and we would like to see Mr Gove use the same energy to go after some of the other actors.鈥�

The CPA said several companies have come forward to assist in the remediation process and some had promised to pay for the removal of faulty materials they have produced.

Kingspan, which manufactured a combustible insulation known as K15 that became the market leader for tall residential buildings before the Grenfell Tower fire, committed last year to pay its share of remediation costs where 鈥渟afe retention cannot be supported by testing鈥�.

A spokesperson for the firm said today that Kingspan is 鈥渁lready engaging on buildings where it has responsibility, and back in February 2021 made a clear commitment it would pay remediation costs.

鈥淚t has also been advocating for an industry-wide levy to fund remediation in which it would play its role.鈥�

K15 made up 5% of the insulation installed on Grenfell Tower as part of its disastrous refurbishment which led to the deaths of 72 people after the building caught fire in 2017.

Most of the insulation used in Grenfell Tower鈥檚 cladding system was manufactured by Celotex, whose parent is French giant Saint-Gobain. Celotex has been contacted for comment.