Homeowners whose flats have external cladding will be offered free safety assessments to determine which properties have material needing to be removed, said the Scottish Government.

The proposal, which paves the way for public funding for remediation, is a key recommendation in a report published today by the Ministerial Working Group on Mortgage Lending and Cladding.

All recommendations have been accepted by the Scottish Government, which has committed to invest all the funding received in consequentials from the UK Government so far to address cladding problems.

A Single Building Assessment programme will be launched to carry out the safety assessments. It is expected that the majority of inspections will show that the building is safe, giving peace of mind to homeowners. Where problems are identified, this will help to identify the scale of funding needed to take necessary remedial work.

Housing minister Kevin Stewart said: “This is an important milestone for people who are living in buildings with cladding. I have heard personally from homeowners who have had to change their life plans or are living with real concern about safety – no one wants that uncertainty and anxiety to continue.

“As part of this proposal, agreed unanimously by representatives of homeowners, surveyors, property managers, lenders and developers in our Ministerial Working Group, we will start assessments in June with remediation funding confirmed as soon as possible afterwards, possibly as early as August. By funding the Single Building Assessments we will have a clear picture of the scale of the issue. This will enable us to provide support for the remediation work required – I do not want people left facing unfair remediation costs. This approach will also save homeowners hundreds of pounds that they may otherwise have faced through paying for an EWS1.”

Charles Roe, director of mortgages at UK Finance, said: “UK Finance welcomes the Scottish Government’s ambitious plans to assess buildings for fire safety issues, which takes into account the unique legal tenure position in Scotland. If successfully implemented, the new Single Building Assessment will be an important and welcome initiative to get the housing market moving in Scotland. We will continue to work with Scottish Government as it develops the detail needed to deliver the new approach.”