Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

The Grenfell Tower fire was a preventable tragedy that claimed 72 lives and exposed deep-rooted weaknesses in the systems designed to keep people safe. It remains a profound failure of oversight and accountability which should never have happened and the bereaved, survivors and local community remain at the heart of our response.

This government accepted the Inquiry’s findings and is today publishing the September 2026 Grenfell Tower Inquiry Government Progress Report to update on work underway to implement the recommendations. Since May 2026, we have completed a further 9 recommendations, bringing the total of closed recommendations to 30 since February 2025. We remain on track to deliver all recommendations by the end of 2029.

Alongside the September progress report, we are publishing the Interim Chief Construction Adviser’s final report.

Together, the progress report and the Interim Chief Construction Adviser’s final report demonstrate continued progress in implementing the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendations and reforming the wider building safety system. They represent important steps towards sustained system-wide change by reducing fragmentation, strengthening accountability and ensuring that those responsible for building and fire safety have the support and oversight needed to keep people safe in their homes.

The government recognises that lasting change requires sustained transparency and oversight. We have delivered the Inquiry’s recommendation on transparency through our new dashboards which publicly track progress to deliver accepted recommendations across inquiries, alongside our regular progress reports on Grenfell implementation. Parliament also has an important role to play in overseeing how government implements recommendations and I await the outcome of PACAC's work in early 2027.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

The Government remains committed to holding organisations to account for the failings identified by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Officials across Government continue to consider what further commercial measures may be appropriate while safeguarding the integrity of the criminal investigation. MHCLG does not enter into direct contracts with Arconic for the supply of cladding panels.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Since 2023, dutyholders, including clients, principal contractors and principal designers, are regulated through the building control process. Prosecutions may be brought for breaches of the building regulations under Section 35 of the Building Act 1984 where appropriate. The government has also accepted a recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Report to introduce principal contractor licensing, to ensure principal contractors working on higher-risk buildings are appropriately competent. We are progressing work to develop this recommendation, which includes a review of the dutyholder regime and whether it is working as intended. This will inform the design of an effective licensing scheme. We expect to publish the findings from the review in late 2026.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Honourable Friend the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy (Samantha Dixon MBE MP) has today made the following statement:

The Grenfell Tower tragedy exposed deep-rooted weaknesses in the systems designed to keep people safe. The preventable loss of 72 lives remains a profound failure of oversight and accountability which should never have occurred. The bereaved, survivors and local community continue to remind us of the human cost of those failures and of the importance of lasting reform.

This government accepted the Inquiry’s findings and is today publishing the May 2026 Grenfell Tower Inquiry Progress Report, setting out the action taken and the further work underway to deliver a more robust, coherent and accountable building safety system. Since February 2026, we have completed a further nine recommendations, bringing the total of closed recommendations to 21 since February 2025. We remain on track to deliver all recommendations by the end of 2029.

Alongside the May progress update, we are publishing;

A call for evidence on the building professions, trades and occupations

The College of Fire and Rescue Consultation

The Building Control Independent Panel report and government response

The Public Engagement Policy

An Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) research paper

The publications alongside this progress report illustrate the continued progress being made towards implementation of the Inquiry’s recommendations and wider reforms of social housing and the construction sector. While not all these documents in themselves close a recommendation, they represent important steps in the work needed to do so, and form the foundations to support sustained, system-wide change. They seek to address fragmentation and ensure that those responsible for building and fire safety have the support they need to keep the public safe in their homes.

The government will also bring forward a Remediation Bill, which will drive forward the remediation of unsafe cladding by giving regulators the powers they need to compel the worst blockers to take action, and make those responsible pay towards the cost of fixing the problem they caused.

Call for Evidence on the Building Professions, Trades and Occupations

Following on from publication of the Single Construction Regulator prospectus in December 2025, we have today launched a call for evidence on the built environment professions, trades and occupations. This goes beyond the specific recommendations in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry for fire engineers, fire risk assessors, principal contractors and architects to tackle the underlying findings of the Inquiry. This concluded that the skills, knowledge and experience of all those engaged in the construction industry are critical to making sure our buildings and environments are safe, high quality and high performing.

This call for evidence seeks information about current barriers, opportunities and interdependencies shaping how people work and behave during all stages of the building process. The outcomes of this exercise will help to set the shape and scope of the new overarching strategy for the professions, trades and occupations which will be published in 2027. This will set out a long-term plan for regulatory and non-regulatory reform across government and the sector, in addition to the delivery of the specific recommendations around professions.

The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks until 12 August 2026.

Building Control Independent Panel Report and Government Response

The government has today published the final report of the Building Control Independent Panel, alongside our response. The Panel was established, under the chairship of Dame Judith Hackitt, following a recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 to consider whether building control functions should be performed by those who have a commercial interest in the process; and whether all building control functions should be performed by a national authority.

We welcome the Panel’s clear assessment of longstanding challenges in the system, despite the professionalism and commitment of many of those working within it. The report sets out principles for reform, alongside recommendations for action in the near term and options for longer-term reform.

The government agrees with the Panel’s assessment and accepts the direction of travel it has set out. Our response makes clear that building control must be properly supported as part of a well-functioning wider building safety system, building on reforms already delivered since the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

We will now take forward detailed work on the Panel’s recommendations at pace, including how reform can be taken forward in a way that strengthens public safety, supports the profession and maintains confidence across the sector. We will set out further detail as this work develops.

College of Fire and Rescue Consultation

We are today publishing a public consultation on the establishment of a new College of Fire and Rescue. This consultation seeks views on the role, design and delivery of a new centre of excellence to support the capability, professionalism and resilience of the fire and rescue sector.

The consultation marks an important step in delivering the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. The Inquiry identified serious and systemic weaknesses across the fire and rescue sector, including inconsistent professional standards, variation in training and leadership, and fragmented responsibilities. As the cornerstone of our reform programme, the college will address these challenges and build on the recommendations from the phase 1 report by collecting and curating operational learning and providing a trusted national voice on risk and fire behaviour. The college will therefore play a critical role in raising professional standards and improving outcomes for the fire and rescue workforce.

The consultation sets out proposals for the college’s strategic purpose and the functions it could fulfil, including, but not limited to, leadership and command, recruitment and training, and culture and integrity. It also seeks views on how the college could operate in practice.

This consultation will run for eight weeks, closing on the 15th July, and we strongly encourage responses from the public, the fire and rescue sector, other blue light services and any other respondents with an interest in this work. The consultation will be available on gov.uk and will be laid in both Houses.

Public Engagement Policy

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry details significant widespread failings that led to the Grenfell Tower Tragedy. Of these failings, and the many individuals and organisations named, seven firms were most significantly criticised for their actions. Sir Michael Moore-Bick found that some of these organisations acted with “systematic dishonesty” and “engaged in deliberate, sustained strategies to mislead the market.” The Inquiry found that materials were used on Grenfell Tower that firms knew were not fit for purpose, and that safety was deprioritised behind ease and economic gain.

In response to these findings, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has implemented a policy to advise ministers and senior officials not to share a public platform with any of these firms. The principles of this approach have since been shared across government.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Honourable Friend the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy (Samantha Dixon MBE MP) has today made the following statement:

An effective and efficient building control system underpins the fundamental safety of homes and communities across the country, built on the expertise of skilled professionals. Today I announce further steps the Department is taking to make sure this system is working effectively and supporting our ambitious remediation and housebuilding targets.

This will restore confidence in the work done to ensure safety in the building sector and boost the housing supply and the improved operation of the Building Safety Regulator’s Gateway regime.

Today, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is launching a consultation on improving proportionality and safety outcomes in the higher-risk building (HRB) control regime. This consultation is seeking views on how building work in existing higher-risk buildings is categorised, to make sure the application requirements reflect the scale and complexity of the work. We are committed to making sure the higher-risk regime is applied in a proportionate way without compromising on safety. It must strike the right balance between robust oversight of safety critical works and enabling safer building works to proceed efficiently and without undue delays.

Alongside this, MHCLG is announcing a £70m Building Professional Workforce Programme to address shortages of capacity and capability in two safety-critical areas of the built environment: £55m for building control and £15m for the fire engineering profession. These professions play a key role in making sure building work is delivered in accordance with the Building Regulations and that engineering solutions protect people and mitigate harm to the built environment in the event of fire.

Our funding will enable the recruitment and training of up to 700 new building inspectors to increase overall capacity, the training of more building inspectors to Class 3 to enable them to work on HRBs, and the expansion of masters level education for fire engineers. This takes forward the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, in line with our recently published next steps on fire engineering profession reform.

These announcements form part of a wider programme to keep people safe in the buildings where they live, work, and visit. As part of this, a consultation was launched today for fire risk assessors. A separate statement has been laid providing further detail on these proposals.

Our priority remains, as it must, in ensuring the collective safety of residents in buildings across the country, while speeding up progress on crucial building work, such as cladding remediation and delivering the new homes this country urgently needs.

The consultation on proposed changes to HRB categorisation can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proportionality-in-building-control-categorisation-of-higher-risk-building-work

We will announce further details on availability of the Building Profession Workforce Programme funding in due course.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Honourable Friend the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy (Samantha Dixon MBE MP) has today made the following statement:

Today, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government launched a public consultation on proposals to establish a fire risk assessor (FRA) profession with consistently high levels of competency, where trust is rebuilt, and where a strong, diverse pipeline of talent ensures improved standards of fire safety.

Context

Fire risk assessments are a fundamental part of the fire safety regime established under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This legislation requires Responsible Persons (RPs) to make a suitable and sufficient assessment to help make sure hazards are identified and the right fire precautions are delivered to keep people safe in the buildings where they live, work, and visit.

RPs can currently undertake this assessment themselves, or appoint someone, commonly known as an FRA, to assist them. Competent and professional FRAs therefore play a critical role in keeping people safe.

Despite this vital life-safety role, FRAs are not currently recognised as a regulated profession. There is no single professional body, no agreed definition of the role, no defined career pathway, and no specified training or qualifications.

While many FRAs are highly competent, we want to see an FRA profession with consistently high and demonstrable standards of competency across the board. Further, we want these proposals to rebuild trust in the FRA profession so that those who rely on their expertise, whether occupying, buying or selling, can feel confident in the fire safety of their homes or other premises.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry (‘the Inquiry’) Phase 2 report identified serious shortcomings in the fire risk assessments produced by the FRA for Grenfell Tower, including failures to identify critical fire safety hazards and to verify that previously identified risks had been addressed. In response to Recommendation 26 in the Inquiry’s Phase 2 report, government committed to introduce mandatory certification for FRAs.

Consultation

The consultation we have launched today is an important step in delivering Recommendation 26 of the Inquiry’s Phase 2 report and fulfilling our commitment to introduce mandatory certification for FRAs.

We have engaged stakeholders across government, the devolved governments, and industry to secure their initial contributions to our plans and help shape the future of a profession that can consistently deliver its vital fire safety role.

The consultation can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fire-risk-assessors-profession and will remain open for 12 weeks until 18 June 2026. We encourage as many responses as possible, to make sure future measures strengthen confidence in the FRA regime and so that those undertaking this critical work are appropriately competent, supported, and accountable. Following the consultation, government will carefully consider the responses received and set out next steps in due course.

This work forms part of a wider programme to implement Inquiry recommendations and improve fire and building safety, including proposals for the establishment of the Single Construction Regulator, recent publications on the fire engineering profession and ongoing work to develop a new strategy for the built environment professions.

Further, a consultation was launched today on improving proportionality and safety outcomes in the higher-risk building (HRB) control regime which can be found here: https://consult.communities.gov.uk/higher-risk-buildings/redefining-category-a-building-work-consultation

This is launched alongside the announcement of a £70m Building Professional Workforce Programme to address shortages of capacity and capability in two safety-critical professions: building control and fire engineering. The funding for fire engineering will contribute to our response to the Inquiry recommendations on increasing education for fire engineers.

A separate statement has been laid providing further detail on these announcements.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Honourable Friend the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy (Samantha Dixon MBE MP) has today made the following statement:

The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 was a national tragedy that highlighted profound failures across systems, safeguards and oversight and led to the avoidable deaths of 72 innocent people.

Eight years on, the bereaved, survivors, and immediate community continue to campaign for justice, truth and accountability. We are committed to delivering the substantial reforms needed to make sure that such a tragedy never happens again.

In February, the Government accepted all the Inquiry’s findings and is taking action on all 58 Phase 2 recommendations to build a more robust and trusted regulatory system and deliver safe, quality homes for everyone.

Today, my department has published our third Progress Report. Alongside this update, we have published a prospectus and consultation on creating a Single Construction Regulator; the Fire Engineers Authoritative Statement and Next Steps Document; and results of the Building Safety Regulator’s initial review of the definition of higher-risk buildings and plans for an ongoing review.

These are significant steps to deliver the reforms we committed to in the Government’s response to the Grenfell Inquiry to tackle fragmentation and complexity in the regulatory system and to ensure those responsible for building and fire safety are competent.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry Government Progress Report

This progress clearly demonstrates the Government’s determination to act decisively to deliver meaningful reform of the built environment. Since the progress report in September, we have completed a further five recommendations related to the construction industry, fire and rescue services and protecting vulnerable people.

Single Construction Regulator Prospectus: Consultation Document

The first recommendation from the Inquiry’s Phase 2 report was for Government to introduce a single construction regulator to tackle complexity and fragmentation in how the industry is regulated. In our response to the Inquiry, we committed to consulting on our next steps this year. Today we have published the Single Construction Regulator Prospectus: Consultation Document. This is a significant milestone in delivering this recommendation.

The prospectus lays out Government’s vision for a better regulatory system. We will tackle fragmentation by integrating the regulation of buildings, construction products, and professionals so they work as an effective system. At the heart of the system will be a single construction regulator who will consolidate the delivery of regulatory functions. The prospectus also sets out next steps for this Government’s wider programme of regulatory reform, including reforms to the Construction Products regime, to be set out in a White Paper by spring 2026, and a new overarching strategy for the built environment professions that goes beyond the areas highlighted by the Inquiry, to be published in spring 2027. The purpose of this reform is a more effective regulatory system, which means better outcomes for residents and building users; clarity and certainty for industry and investors; and a fairer system, that benefits those who prioritise safety and quality and sets clear accountabilities for all actors with a stake in the built environment.

Progress towards the Single Construction Regulator has begun through significant reforms to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). In June, MHCLG announced a new phase for the BSR, including strengthened leadership and steps to address operational challenges. Work is now underway to establish the BSR as a new arm’s length body sponsored by MHCLG. The new body and dedicated leadership will provide a singular focus for this complex area of regulation, clearer lines of accountability to Ministers and Parliament, and greater operational flexibility while retaining its regulatory independence. Further reform, including integrating additional responsibilities, will be managed through a carefully phased approach, to ensure the current regulatory regime is not destabilised and to set the future regulator up for success.

The prospectus and consultation can be found on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/single-construction-regulator-prospectus. The consultation will run until 20 March 2026, inviting views on the proposals. We encourage as many responses as possible, to shape the future direction of the regulator and wider building system and make sure these reforms lead to real change for residents and building users.

Fire Engineers Authoritative Statement and Next Steps Document

The Fire Engineers Advisory Panel, established in April, brings together leading experts to strengthen the Government’s response to the Inquiry’s recommendations concerning fire engineers. In September, we committed to publishing an authoritative statement (recommendation 17) on the knowledge and skills to be expected of a competent fire engineer.

Today we have published the Fire Engineers Authoritative Statement, alongside a Next Steps document. This paper will set out MHCLG’s approach to recommendations 15, 16 and 18. Together, these publications provide clarity for the sector and signal the start of wider reforms to make sure the fire engineering profession is fit for the future.

Higher-Risk Buildings review publication

Today we have published the results of the Buildings Safety Regulator’s initial review of the definition of higher-risk buildings as well as the Regulator’s plans for an ongoing review.

The initial review found that the current definition appropriately reflects the available evidence on risks to individuals from the spread of fire and structural failure. Although no changes are to be made to regime scope at the present time, the ongoing review will ensure the data and evidence is regularly assessed to determine whether the categories of building subject to the higher-risk regime should be amended in any way. The presence of vulnerable individuals within designated building types will remain central to any assessment of risk.

Approved Document B Consultation

We will shortly launch a public consultation on proposed updates to Approved Document B, the statutory fire safety guidance within the Building Regulations. The consultation will seek views on targeted clarifications and technical changes, including new provisions for evacuation lifts in residential buildings above 18 metres, alongside measures to improve clarity and strengthen confidence in the guidance. These updates will be an important step in supporting inclusive design, safe evacuation strategies, and maintaining robust fire safety standards across the built environment.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Honourable Friend the Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy (Samantha Dixon MBE MP) has today made the following statement:

In June 2025, my department announced changes to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). Today I am laying before the House draft regulations which will move the functions of the Building Safety Regulator out of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and to an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

This change will position the BSR for the coming years. It will strengthen lines of accountability and give a dedicated focus to BSR operations, and is an important first step towards establishing a single construction regulator, the lead recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report.

I am grateful to HSE for the leadership and experience it has brought to the establishment and early operations of the BSR, and for its ongoing support as this change is made.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Combustible materials in and on the external walls of new residential buildings higher than 18 metres were banned in 2018.

The Building Regulations 2010 set functional requirements for fire safety, including the need for internal linings and structural elements to inhibit fire spread and maintain stability.

More broadly, in 2021, the Government appointed the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) as the National Regulator for Construction Products (NRCP) to regulate construction products placed on the UK market. The NRCP and local authorities have powers to enforce the law where products do not comply with the Construction Products Regulations 2013. The regulator has prohibited the supply of construction products including certain insulation, toughened glass, and plywood. Following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's report, the Government has committed to bringing forward reforms to ensure that all construction products supplied in the UK are safe.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

My Right Honourable friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Rt Hon. Pat McFadden MP, has today made the following statement:

We will never forget the 72 lives lost following the Grenfell Tower tragedy eight years ago. The government is grateful to Sir Martin Moore-Bick and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry team for laying bare the truths in their reports.

When the Grenfell Tower Inquiry published its final report, the Prime Minister made clear the whole government’s commitment to pursuing full accountability, including through the criminal justice process. Further to the statement made by the Parliamentary Secretary, Minister Gould on 26 February 2025, formal notices were issued to the seven suppliers named in that statement commencing debarment investigations under new powers in section 60 of the Procurement Act 2023.

Since that notification, my officials have been working to progress these investigations which has included seeking views from relevant stakeholders. The Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police Service have made me aware that they have significant concerns that the debarment investigations could lead to unintentional prejudice to both the criminal investigation and to any future criminal proceedings and the Government has accepted their representations that the criminal investigation must take priority.

At the request of the CPS and MPS, I have therefore decided to pause these 7 debarment investigations until criminal investigations and any prosecutions are concluded. I recognise that this decision will feel like yet another delay in the community’s long wait for justice and I have not taken this decision lightly. I understand how important the criminal investigation is to the bereaved families, survivors and the wider community, which is why I am taking this action to protect the integrity of any subsequent criminal proceedings in pursuit of delivering justice. The government fully supports the MPS in its investigation.

The debarment investigations are being paused without any conclusion having been reached. The pause does not in any way prevent contracting authorities from making their own decisions in respect of the eligibility of these suppliers to bid in their procurements and be awarded public contracts, provided they do so in accordance with the Act. The government remains committed to holding organisations to account and I am considering what other steps can be taken to ensure meaningful action to address failings related to the Grenfell Tower fire. We will continue to engage with the MPS and CPS to ensure any future action does not impede the work of the police.

If the criminal process results in convictions, where appropriate, I will re-commence or launch new investigations which may enable stronger action in relation to procurement than could be taken at the present time. The government will continue to address all of the Inquiry’s recommendations and the issues the tragedy exposed.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Honourable Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth (Alex Norris MP) has today made the following statement:

The government is today laying regulations to address the last three outstanding Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations, on Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans, or PEEPs, and building-level evacuation plans.

The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 mandate Residential PEEPs and mark a long-awaited step forward in improving the fire safety and evacuation of vulnerable residents who were so badly let down on the night of the tragedy. It applies to residents living in England in high-rise residential buildings (at least 7 storeys or 18 metres high), and 11-18 metre high buildings with a simultaneous evacuation strategy.

Through these Regulations, residents with physical and mental disabilities and impairments will be entitled to:

a person-centred fire risk assessment to consider their specific individual risks and ability to evacuate in the event of a fire;

the measures that could be reasonably and proportionately introduced to mitigate against their risks and aid their evacuation;

a written statement recording what they should do in a fire and;

provision of information to their local fire and rescue service (where the resident consents to the information being shared) so they know where the most vulnerable residents live and can support their evacuation or rescue in the event of a fire.

The regulations also mandate production of whole-building evacuation plans, shared with local fire and rescue services.

The laying of the Regulations addresses recommendations 33.22c, 33.22e, 33.22f (now nos. 59, 60 and 61) from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

The government has committed funding this year to begin this important work by supporting social housing providers to deliver Residential PEEPs for their renters. Future years’ funding will be confirmed through the Spending Review and business planning processes.

In addition, government is today publishing a factsheet and toolkit to support building owners/managers as they develop Residential PEEPs. This toolkit contains real-life and proven initiatives to support vulnerable residents which have already been successfully deployed at scale.

The Regulations will come into force on 6 April 2026.

The government is committed to continued and full engagement with stakeholders as the policy is operationalised to ensure that it addresses the needs of users and reflects their lived experience. Specifically, we will:

Continue to engage key stakeholders on draft statutory guidance to support building owners/managers in fulfilling the requirements of the regulations. The guidance will be published in the autumn.

Set up a stakeholder advisory panel with representatives of disability stakeholders and building owners/managers, to identify and review new initiatives for inclusion in the toolkit.

Continue to listen to stakeholders as Residential PEEPs beds in, as part of monitoring the impact and effectiveness of the policy.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Currently building standards are regulated by the Building Safety Regulator. The annual net cost of Building Safety Regulator is expected to be £43m for 2025/26.

Government has accepted the recommendation made in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 2 report to create a ‘single construction regulator’ for the building system. Proposals for design of the future regulator will be published and consulted on later this year.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Right Honourable Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Angela Rayner MP) has today made the following statement:

I want to provide the House with an update on the Government’s work with the Grenfell community and on my decision about the future of Grenfell Tower.

Supporting the community

Learning the lessons from the Grenfell tragedy and ensuring lasting change are key priorities for the government. In his statement to this House in September, the Prime Minister committed to supporting the community now and always, and to building a legacy of change in their name.

I am committed to supporting bereaved families, survivors and immediate community, and working to ensure that we never see a repeat of the tragedy. Since my appointment, I have valued hearing directly from the community about the issues that matter to them.

Grenfell Tower

I am responsible for Grenfell Tower and for making a decision about its future. I understand that this is a deeply personal matter for those affected, and I am keeping their voice firmly at the heart of this decision making.

I would like to update the House that over the last week I have met bereaved families and survivors, and residents in the immediate community to explain my decision that Grenfell Tower will be carefully taken down.

Listening to the community

I have reached this decision after listening carefully to the community, and I am grateful to everyone who has shared their personal stories and views, especially bereaved and survivors.

In November last year, I explained to families that I would listen to their views and make sure their voices were heard, as well as to consider expert information before making a decision on the future of the Tower in February.

From November I offered bereaved and survivors the opportunity to meet in-person in North Kensington and Whitehall, or online, at different times and individually when families felt more comfortable with this. I have also spent time with representative groups, residents’ associations, schools and faith leaders. I am grateful to everyone who shared their view – whether directly with me, with the Minister or officials – and especially to the bereaved and survivors.

The Tower was the home of the 72 innocent people who lost their lives, and of survivors whose lives were forever changed. It is clear from conversations it remains a sacred site. It is also clear that there is not a consensus about what should happen to it.

For some, Grenfell Tower is a symbol of all that they lost. The presence of the Tower helps to ensure the tragedy is never forgotten and can act as a reminder of the need for justice and accountability. Being able to see the Tower every day helps some people continue to feel close to those they lost. For others it is a painful reminder of what happened and is having a daily impact on some members of the community. Some have suggested that some floors of the Tower should be retained for the memorial, others have said that this would be too painful.

Expert advice

I also considered independent expert advice. Engineering advice says that the Tower is significantly damaged. It remains stable because of the measures put in place to protect it but even with installation of additional props, the condition of the building will continue to worsen over time. Engineers also advise it is not practicable to retain many of the floors of the building in place as part of a memorial that must last in perpetuity.

Taking the engineering advice into account I have concluded that it would not be fair to keep some floors of the building that are significant to some families, whilst not being able to do so for others and knowing that, for some, this would be upsetting.

How the Tower will be taken down

The government is committed to taking the next steps respectfully and carefully. There will be continued support for, and engagement with, the community throughout the process.

In the coming months, the government will confirm the specialist contractor that will develop a detailed plan for taking the Tower down. The work will be led by technical experts with specific health and safety responsibilities and will include a methodology that includes environmental, health and safety measures and a detailed programme of work. The views the community have shared already will inform the plans. The department will continue to work with them, for example on arrangements to pay their respects.

There will be no changes to the Tower before the eighth anniversary.  It will likely take around two years to sensitively take down the Tower through a process of careful, progressive deconstruction that happens behind the wrapping.

We continue to support the independent Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission as the community choose a design team to work with them on designing a memorial.

I will ensure that parts of the Tower or materials from the site can be carefully removed and returned for inclusion as part of the memorial, if the community wishes.

The department has regularly consulted the Metropolitan Police, HM Coroner and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry to ensure decisions about the site do not interfere with their important work in pursuit of justice and accountability. The Police and HM Coroner have again recently confirmed they have everything they need.

Continued commitment for the community

My commitment to the community continues. I will ensure bereaved families, survivors and residents continue to have opportunities to speak with me and the Building Safety Minister on issues that matter to them most.

Answering body: Home Office

My rt hon Friend the Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention (Dame Diana Johnson) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

I am today publishing the Government’s response to the Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing Plus (EEIS+) consultation, which provides further detail of our new Residential PEEPs policy.

This policy, which was previously announced in a written ministerial statement on 2 September 2024 (HCWS62), introduces new measures to improve the fire safety for vulnerable residents in high-rise and higher-risk residential blocks of flats, and represents a milestone in addressing the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, a key priority for this Government.

Following publication of this Government response, subject to parliamentary approval, we will move to lay Regulations to implement the new policy.

A copy of the Government response will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and it will also be published on GOV.UK.

Answering body: Leader of the House of Lords

My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement:

The Chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Sir Martin Moore-Bick has today published the Inquiry’s Phase 2 Report.

The report examines how it came to be that the Grenfell Tower was in the condition whereby a fire could spread so quickly and fatally, as tragically happened on 14 June 2017. A copy has been laid before each House of Parliament and I will make a statement to the House following Prime Minister’s Questions.

The report finds substantial and widespread failings. The Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations, to ensure that such a tragedy cannot occur again. I hope that those outside government will do the same. Given the detailed and extensive nature of the report, a further and more in-depth debate will be held at a later date.

My thoughts today are wholly with those bereaved by, and survivors of, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the residents in the immediate community. This day is for them. I hope that Sir Martin’s report can provide the truth they have sought for so long, and that it is step towards the accountability and justice they deserve.

I would like to thank Sir Martin, his panel of Thouria Istephan and Ali Akbor, and the Inquiry team for their thorough work on producing this report and for their years of work on this Inquiry.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Hon Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Building Safety and Homelessnes (Rushanara Ali MP) has today made the following statement:

Today, I can update Parliament on fire safety and evacuation proposals; on the recognition of CE (‘Conformité Européenne’) marking for construction products; and on updates to the statutory guidance to the building regulations to remove references to outdated National Classes fire testing standards and make provision for sprinklers in new care homes.

Fire safety and evacuation

The Home Office will bring forward proposals in the Autumn to improve the fire safety and evacuation of disabled/vulnerable residents in high-rise and higher-risk residential buildings in England in response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 1 recommendations that relate to Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans, or PEEPs. These proposals will be called ‘Residential PEEPs’.

Through them, residents with disabilities and impairments will be entitled to a person-centred risk assessment to identify appropriate equipment and adjustments to aid their fire safety / evacuation, as well as a ‘Residential PEEPs statement’ that records what vulnerable residents should do in the event of a fire.

The Government has committed funding next year to begin this important work by supporting social housing providers to deliver Residential PEEPs for their renters. Future years’ funding will be confirmed at the upcoming Spending Review.

The Government has made progress on delivering recommendation 33.22[d] of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 1 report, on Evacuation Alert Systems (‘sounders’) for new builds, through amendment to statutory guidance to the building regulations in relation to high-rise residential building design (requiring sounders to be fitted in new buildings over 18 metres in height).

We will consider further the second part of the recommendation, relating to existing buildings, in light of further evidence or recommendations in the Phase 2 report. This will, like the work on fire safety improvements nationally, be part of the important task of reducing the likelihood and impact of future fires.

CE marking

Construction products are a pivotal part of the housing and infrastructure supply chain and make up 13% of the United Kingdom’s (UK) entire manufacturing base by turnover. Ensuring continuing supply of products is critical to delivering house building targets and wider infrastructure ambitions. These products must be safe. Evidence to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry revealed the scale of concern about construction products – products which are vital to all our buildings and infrastructure – and the system that oversees them remains inadequate.

A subset of construction products fall within scope of the current construction products regulations. These existing regulations set out rules for placing construction products on the market, providing a common technical language to assess the performance of products. Products within scope of these regulations must undergo an assessment of conformity with the relevant standard or technical assessment. Such products must also be affixed with a UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) or a CE (Conformité Européenne) mark. Current Government guidance sets out that recognition of CE marking will end in June 2025.

I can announce today that the Government will extend the period of recognition of CE marking for construction products. The CE mark will continue to be available when placing construction products on the market across the UK.

We have listened to the findings from the Independent Review of the Construction Products Testing Regime. This was clear that there is currently insufficient testing and certification capacity in the UK alone to provide the volume of conformity assessment that would be required were CE recognition to end. We are also clear that ending recognition of CE marking without reforming the domestic regime would create trade barriers and negatively affect the supply of products that meet recognised standards.

I am also determined to address the inadequacies across the wider construction products regime. Residents and communities need to be confident that their homes will be safe and well-built now and in the future. To ensure this, the Government will want to take into account any recommendations from the forthcoming Grenfell Inquiry report to inform proposals for reform. Therefore, I am making this extension, and the longer-term future of CE/UKCA marking, conditional on this Government committing to system wide reform of the construction products regulatory regime.

The Government recognises the role of UK Conformity Assessment Bodies in ensuring compliance of goods on the market. As part of the reforms the Government will work with UK Conformity Assessment Bodies, the UK Accreditation Service, and the wider industry to strengthen the conformity assessment market.

Lastly, I recognise the need for industry to have sufficient certainty to support supply chains. I can confirm that any subsequent changes to the recognition of CE marking would be subject to a minimum 2-year transitional period.

National Classes and Sprinklers in care homes

I am also announcing, today, publication of two updates to the statutory guidance that accompanies Building Regulations. First, we are introducing a provision for sprinklers to be installed in new care homes; and second, we are completing the withdrawal of the outdated National Classes fire testing standards, ending a long period of dual specification in favour of the more robust European standard. This implements the recommendation, made in the Hackitt Report, for a clearer, transparent and effective testing regime. Alongside guidance for second staircases in tall residential buildings that are more than 18m in height, which was published on 29 March 2024, these measures conclude the new policy responses to the Sprinklers in care homes, removal of national classes, and staircases in residential buildings consultation, which ran from 23 December 2022 to 17 March 2023.

Withdrawing the National Classes fire testing standards from ‘Approved Document B’ will end the dual classification system that has operated since the early 2000s in favour of the more rigorous, internationally recognised European standard (BS EN 13501). The current testing standard tests for both reaction to fire and fire resistance. I am aware that there are a small number of manufacturers who have only ever tested to National Class standards who will need time to re-test their products. We are providing industry with a transition period of five years for fire resistance and 6 months for reaction to fire. This is a generous yet critical approach and has been put in place to facilitate a smooth transition to the European standard that is not disruptive to supply chains.

A compassionate society protects its most vulnerable. Today, I am also publishing an update to ‘Approved Document B’ that makes provision for sprinklers in all new care homes. Sprinklers enhance fire protection where residents may be reliant on others for help and assistance, especially if a building evacuation is needed. Many care home providers already include sprinklers in new designs. For those that do not yet provide for sprinklers, again, I recognise that businesses and investors seek certainty. So, care homeowners and developers will benefit from a six-month transition period until the guidance comes into effect and will then have a further six months to enable work on current development projects that are underway, or about to start, to continue.

Answering body: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

The issue of electrical surges was considered in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 report, which focused on the causes of the fire. There were longstanding concerns raised by residents about electrical “surges” affecting appliances within the Tower. As stated in the report, RINA Consulting (RINA) were retained by the Metropolitan Police to assess the electrical supply and distribution infrastructure. RINA found no damage or significant degradation (other than that caused by the fire) nor any major defects in the electrical supply system. RINA found no evidence to suggest that the electrical infrastructure of the Tower was in any way responsible for the fire.

Answering body: Home Office

My rt hon Friend the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire (Chris Philp) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:

I am pleased to announce to the House that the Government is today publishing our official response to the fire reform White Paper and consultation.

Last year we published our White Paper, “Reforming Our Fire and Rescue Service” (CP 670), to gauge the public and sector’s views on how we wished to drive reform within fire and rescue services. Our proposals were built on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the recommendations from HMICFRS’ independent inspections, challenging national report findings and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

In the period since the White Paper was published, further challenges in the fire sector have been the focus of public and parliamentary debate. I refer, in particular, to the independent review of culture in the London Fire Brigade and the HMICFRS national spotlight report into values and culture. These reports highlighted misconduct in multiple fire and rescue services and uncovered totally unacceptable behaviours. Our White Paper response sets out our ambition to improve integrity across the sector.

The feedback on our proposals has allowed us to refine our next steps and announce today our package of reform, which will focus on the areas that have the biggest impact for the public and for fire professionals: developing a profession to be proud of and ensuring that fire services do more to put the public first. These include:

Introducing a professional College of Fire & Rescue to raise standards and strengthen leadership.

Developing provision for fire chiefs to have operational independence.

Tasking the National Joint Council to review the pay negotiation mechanism.

Taking action to improve integrity and culture in fire and rescue services through improved training, more open recruitment practices and working towards a statutory code of ethics for fire and rescue employees.

Our fire and rescue professionals deserve our support as they not only respond to a changing world but also seek to develop and strengthen their own capabilities. This consultation response sets out how we can work together with partners across the fire sector to deliver this.

I would like to put on record my thanks to everyone who has engaged with us on our White Paper and consultation. Whether you have helped us shape our proposals or provided feedback on how they can work, your help has ensured we can drive forward much needed and long overdue reform for our fire and rescue services and ensure the best possible service for the public.

The Government’s response has been laid before Parliament as a Command Paper (CP 993) and will be available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-our-fire-and-rescue-service

Answering body: Home Office

I am pleased to make a number of announcements to the House today that set out both the Government’s fire reform agenda and the introduction of a package of fire safety measures that will protect the public for years to come. Taken together, this is about:

Driving forward reform of the Fire and Rescue Service by launching the Fire Reform White Paper and consultation (CP 670).

Implementing a package of measures to improve fire safety.

Improving transparency and engaging the public.

Fire Reform White Paper and Consultation

The Fire Reform White Paper and consultation seeks to introduce system-wide reform to strengthen fire and rescue services across England. The proposals are set out under three key themes: people; professionalism; and governance. The consultation is launching today to seek views and will be open for 10 weeks.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-our-fire-and-rescue-service

Review of the National Joint Council

As set out in the White Paper the government will launch a review of the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services. The review, which will commence later this year, will consider whether the pay negotiation mechanism in England is fit for purpose.

The Fire Safety Act 2021

The Fire Safety Act 2021 was commenced in full on 16 May 2022. This will clarify that structure, external walls and flat entrance doors of blocks of flats are within scope of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Fire Safety Order) and ensure that they are included in that building’s fire risk assessment.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-act-2021

Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool

To support commencement of the Fire Safety Act 2021, the Home Office is publishing supporting guidance issued under article 50 of the Fire Safety Order and launching an online prioritisation tool. The new Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool has been developed to help Responsible Persons identify the priority for updating fire risk assessments.

Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool

Fire Safety (Regulations) 2022

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 will require Responsible Persons to send information on high-rise residential buildings which will help fire and rescue services better plan for and respond to a fire. They will also improve fire safety in high-rise buildings by setting a baseline on safety checks on lifts for firefighters and other key pieces of firefighting equipment and, in mid-rise buildings, on doors. They will also make residents in all multi-occupied residential buildings feel safer by providing them with fire safety instructions and information on the importance of fire doors.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-england-regulations-2022

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) consultation response, and new consultation

We are publishing the responses to our PEEPs consultation which we ran from 8 June to 19 July 2021.

We have taken account of the substantial difficulties of mandating PEEPs in high rise residential buildings and have developed new proposals that we are confident deliver proportionality, practicality and improve safety for those vulnerable people living in the highest risk buildings. We will now consult and seek views on these proposals.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/personal-emergency-evacuation-plans

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/emergency-evacuation-information-sharing

Fourth thematic update on Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations

We are publishing our latest update on progress against Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations. This shows progress made by Government departments, and relevant public authorities, including the London Fire Brigade, and National Fire Chiefs Council. The tracker provides a digestible, transparent way for the public to hold those responsible for delivering recommendations to account.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quarterly-thematic-update-on-progress-against-the-grenfell-tower-inquiry-phase-1-recommendations

Fires in high-rise residential buildings in England are rare, and thankfully deaths from fires in high-rise residential buildings are extremely rare. The Government, however, is committed to learning the lessons of the tragedy at Grenfell Tower.

Answering body: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

The Government accepted, in principle, all of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 1 recommendations for central government. I chair the quarterly Grenfell Inquiry Recommendations Board to monitor progress against these recommendations and a tracker is published on gov.uk every 6 months.

The bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy deserve justice, not only through the Inquiry and police investigations, but also through Government creating a legacy of lasting change and reforms to building safety. Our Building Safety Bill will make that a reality.

Answering body: Home Office

Today, the Government publishes a new consultation on Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans in High-rise Residential Buildings which will be open from 8 June to 19 July 2021.

This new consultation contains proposals to implement the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report recommendations on Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans in high-rise residential buildings. These recommendations require a change in law to place new requirements on owners or managers of multi-occupied high-rise residential buildings.

This consultation supports delivery of two of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations and is part of the government’s package of reforms to improve building and fire safety in all regulated premises where people live, stay or work.

We are consulting on the following proposals:

Proposal 1: We propose to require the Responsible Person to prepare a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan for every resident who self-identifies to them as unable to self-evacuate (subject to the resident’s voluntary self-identification) and to do so in consultation with them.

Proposal 2: We propose to provide a template to assist the Responsible Person and the residents in completing the plan, and to support consistency at a national level.

Proposal 3: We propose to require the Responsible Person to complete and keep up to date information about residents in their building who would have difficulty self-evacuating in the event of a fire (and who have voluntarily self-identified as such), and to place it in an information box on the premises to assist effective evacuation during a rescue by the fire service.

Proposal 4: We propose, in order to assist the Responsible Person and support consistency at a national level, to provide a template, most likely in a one-page format, to capture the key information to be provided in the information box.

Further details can be found in the consultation and its supportive documents available at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/personal-emergency-evacuation-plans. A copy of the consultation will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Answering body: Home Office

Today, the Government publishes its response to the Fire Safety Consultation held from 20 July -12 October 2020.

This public consultation was a vital step in a process to ensure that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the ‘Fire Safety Order’) continues to be fit for purpose as part of the Government’s consideration of the reform of the wider building safety landscape. The consultation sought views on a number of proposals to:

Strengthen the FSO and improve compliance in all regulated premises (section 1).

Implement the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report recommendations that require a change in the law (section 2).

Improve the effectiveness of consultation between building control bodies and fire and rescue authorities on planning for building work and the arrangements for the handover of fire safety information (section 3).

We received feedback from over 250 stakeholders with an interest in building and fire safety, including residents, responsible persons and enforcing authorities, which we have used to inform our response. The Government has listened, and now we are taking action.

We will be bringing forward a number of changes to the Fire Safety Order, legislating where necessary primarily via the Building Safety Bill, as well as through building regulations fire safety guidance, to strengthen fire safety in all regulated buildings. We will:

Improve the quality of fire risk assessments by requiring that a Responsible Person (RP) must not appoint a person to assist them with undertaking a fire risk assessment unless they are competent and a requirement on all RPs to record their completed fire risk assessments and prescribed information. The name and/or organisation of any person engaged by the RP to undertake all or part of the fire risk assessment will also need to be recorded to assist enforcing authorities undertaking enforcement action to establish compliance.

Improve the identification of RPs by requiring them to record (and update as necessary) who they are, and the extent of their responsibility under the Fire Safety Order, and to include a UK based address. This will sit alongside a further proposal to require all RPs to take reasonable steps to identify themselves to each other where they share or have duties in respect of the same premises. A new requirement will also be introduced to ensure that information is transferred effectively between outgoing RPs and their replacements.

Amend existing provision relating to statutory guidance for RPs to include provision that failure to follow such guidance may be considered in court proceedings for breaches of the Order as evidence of such a breach, and conversely proof of following guidance may be considered as evidence of compliance.

Increase the level of fines from Level 3 (£1,000) to Level 5 (unlimited) for offences in relation to the impersonation of an inspector, failure to comply with specific requirements imposed by an inspector, and failure to comply with requirements relating to the installation of luminous tube signs.

Amend the guidance in Approved Document B of the Building Regulations to require all new buildings above 11 metres to provide a readily locatable, accessible and secure Premises Information Box, to tie in with the height threshold for new buildings to require sprinklers and signage.

The Fire Safety Consultation consulted on a range of areas to strengthen fire safety. Where further work is required to develop policy, we will continue to consider the findings of the consultation and engage with the sector and stakeholders to inform ongoing policy development in these areas.

The Fire Safety Consultation also included proposals to implement recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report requiring changes to the law. We will consider these proposals further in light of the consultation responses and – subject to the Fire Safety Bill gaining Royal Assent – intend to lay Regulations before the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase One Report which will deliver on the Inquiry’s recommendations. These will include measures around checking fire doors and lifts.

Three of these proposals related to Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs). The Government’s commitment to implementing the Inquiry’s recommendations remains undimmed, as does our commitment to ensure those most affected by the tragic events at Grenfell Tower – the bereaved and survivors – continue to have a voice in their implementation. It is important that we get this right and ensure the voice of residents and those likely to be affected by the proposals are heard. That is why we have decided to undertake a further consultation this spring to seek additional views on the complex issue of personal emergency evacuation plans in relation to the proposals to implement the relevant Grenfell recommendations. Further details about this will be available soon on the Government’s website.

Finally, proposals to improve the engagement between Building Control Bodies and Fire Authorities in reviewing plans for building work and for the handover of fire safety information to the Responsible Person on completion will be implemented through changes to legislation and guidance.

We are determined to ensure that the public feel safe and are safe from fire in all regulated premises regardless of where they live, stay or work. These changes, alongside the Fire Safety Bill, Building Safety Bill and planned overhaul of the statutory guidance provided under the Fire Safety Order are important steps needed to strengthen the whole regulatory system for building and fire safety. Taken together they will help to ensure there is greater accountability and responsibility for fire and structural safety issues throughout the lifecycle of all buildings regulated by the Fire Safety Order.

Further detail of the changes we are making can be found in the consultation response. The consultation response will be available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fire-safety. A copy will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.