The Deputy Prime Minister delivered the government’s response to the Grenfell Inquiry’s final report this afternoon and as many had predicted, the government has accepted all 58 recommendations made by inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick.
Angela Rayner confirmed that reforms taken forward would include a new single construction regulator and a chief construction advisor to hold those responsible for building safety to account. The introduction of reforms to the construction products sector, including potential prison time for executives alongside unlimited fines were also outlined.
For residents, the government has announced stronger, clearer and enforceable legal rights to make landlords responsible for acting on safety concerns and the right for residents to challenge landlords and demand safer housing – through the ‘Make Things Right’ campaign.
Challenged over time frames for implementation, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that detailed plans for the single construction regulator and chief construction advisor will be set out later this year.
Shadow Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary, Kevin Hollinrake in commending the government’s response, questioned why the government had not accepted the inquiry’s recommendation for the single regulator to oversee testing and certification of construction products, leaving this instead with conformity assessment bodies. He reminded the Deputy Prime Minister that the Building Research Establishment (BRE) itself, a conformity assessment body, was strongly criticised for having its own conflicts of interest in the Grenfell Report.
For the fire safety sector, the government is accepting the recommendations ‘to professionalise fire engineers and assessors, to license principal contractors and to review the role of building control, where standards are clear and industry has clarity and certainty on how individuals and firms must behave.’
The government has also published a construction products reform green paper, designed to ‘cut out the rot in the sector and allow competence to take root. Safety will come first, and a culture of responsibility will prevail. We will celebrate those that lead the way and those that fall short will suffer the consequences.’
The cross-party consensus on accountability and justice was evident throughout the session, as members of parliament emphasised the systemic failures that led to the largest loss of life in a single event in peace time. The Deputy Prime Minister also pledged to publish quarterly reports on progress and annual updates to parliament, emphasising accountability and transparency.
Today marks an important milestone in both the quest for justice and the drive to make resident safety a non-negotiable across the UK. The wide-ranging recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry, which have now been adopted by government, set a clear framework for the prioritisation of resident safety over all other considerations and we now move forward on an agreed pathway, with clear expectations on government actions and deliverables, and Harmony Fire is committed to playing our role in making these critical changes happen.
