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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
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Stephen Topping

Little Awaab's death shamed our country - now the tide could be turning

A toddler with his whole life ahead of him. An unthinkable tragedy in 21st Century Greater Manchester.

Horrific conditions at his home left little Awaab Ishak severely ill. Thick, black mould tormented his parents as they fought damp at their flat.

They did everything they could as their pleas were ignored.

READ MORE: What MPs said about crucial Bill as Awaab's Law campaign clears major hurdle in Commons

It's a scandal that should never have happened in one of the world's richest countries.

Awaab's parents moved to the UK for a better life. Just like those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire three years earlier, they were catastrophically let down.

Matthew Pennycook, Labour's shadow housing minister, was spot on when he told the Commons this week that Awaab's death 'shames our country'. Finally though, the tide could be turning.

MPs across the political divide were united in backing Awaab's Law during a crucial debate in the House of Commons this week. Law changes put forward by government following our campaign are now a huge step closer to becoming a reality.

It cannot come soon enough.

As minister Dehenna Davison told MPs on Wednesday: "The death of a child is always heartbreaking and for it to have been entirely preventable makes it even more devastating."

Awaab Ishak will have a lasting legacy (Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)

When we spoke to residents on Awaab's estate last year, they described the gruelling battle they endured to try and get damp and mould issues resolved. Their health - and their children's' health - was on the line.

Their patience had worn thin.

That's why Awaab's Law is so important.

Once the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill receives Royal Assent, as amended following the Awaab's Law campaign, our attention will turn towards ensuring the promises attached to the legislation are fulfilled.

A 12-week consultation will take place before the timeframes for damp and mould inspections, and urgent repairs, are set. All the noises from officials suggest they are minded to stick with the campaign's original demands. We certainly hope that will be the case.

We will keep a close eye on how the other commitments are fulfilled - on clear information for tenants; Ofsted-style inspections; and professional qualifications for housing managers.

We will watch the Regulator to make sure it is acting in the spirit of Awaab's Law following the law changes, and check the new guidance issued to housing associations later this year is being followed.

When it comes to the health and safety of families in their own home, we can't afford any delay. But damp and mould is not confined to social housing.

With the battle for Awaab's Law seemingly nearing its end, politicians and campaigners are urging the government to turn its attention to the private rented sector. Salford and Eccles MP Rebecca Long-Bailey was right to call for 'an equivalent Awaab's Law' for private tenants during the debate on Wednesday.

She highlighted research from Citizens Advice, which suggested more than half of private tenants in England - including 1.6 million children - are 'struggling' with damp and mould, excessive cold, or both. There are also calls for standards to be improved in temporary accommodation.

On too many occasions, the M.E.N. has exposed shocking conditions that Greater Mancunians are forced to live in. The scourge of damp and mould affects tenants from different walks of life - from those in city centre apartments advertised as luxury living, to vulnerable families who fear losing the roof over their heads.

Our campaign for change has shown there is a will in Parliament to improve the lives of tenants and ensure what happened to Awaab, and the 72 killed at Grenfell, cannot be repeated.

Raising standards for all would be a fitting legacy for the lives that were so cruelly cut short.

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