Parliamentary activity

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

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: 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: 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: 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: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Government itself cannot impose fines but where building owners are failing to make acceptable progress in removing unsafe cladding then they should expect enforcement action by local authorities or Fire and Rescue Authorities. We have established a Joint Inspection Team to support local authorities in taking enforcement action where building owners are refusing to remediate high-rise buildings with unsafe cladding or are not making acceptable progress. Local authorities have a duty to take enforcement action under the Housing Act 2004 if they find the most serious ‘category 1’ hazards on residential premises and failure to comply with this can result in a financial penalty of up to £30,000 or prosecution in the Magistrates’ Court, which may result in a unlimited fine on conviction.

The Fire Safety Bill will also clarify that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the ‘Fire Safety Order’) applies to external wall systems and will put beyond doubt that Fire and Rescue Authorities can enforce against and where necessary, pursue prosecution if Responsible Persons or those otherwise responsible under the Fire Safety Order fail to take appropriate fire safety measures with regards to unsafe cladding in multi-occupied residential buildings. The highest financial penalty that can be imposed for non-compliance with the Fire Safety Order is an unlimited fine. It is for the Court to decide on a case-by-case basis what financial penalty should be allocated. Details of enforcement action taken or being taken by local authorities and Fire and Rescue Authorities in regard to the buildings with unsafe Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding can be found on the Building Safety Programme Monthly Data Release which is available (attached) at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/aluminium-composite-material-cladding#acm-remediation-data .

Answering body: Home Office

The Government accepts, in principle, all the recommendations made of central Government in Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry’s Phase One report and will work at pace to take these forward. This may include bringing forward legislation ahead of the Bill on building safety standards announced in the Queen’s Speech if that would mean the Inquiry’s recommendations can be implemented sooner.

We are currently analysing responses to our Call for Evidence on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and intend to publish a formal response after the General Election.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The timetable for the independent public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire is a matter for the Inquiry Chair.

The Inquiry’s most recent update, published on their website on 5 March, confirms that the Chairman is in the process of drafting the Phase 1 report and that he hopes to complete it in the spring.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The timetable for the independent public Inquiry is a matter for the Chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick. Work on Phase 2 has been going on for several months. Sir Martin has said that he would like to start the Phase 2 hearings as soon as possible, but there is still much work to do. The issues to be considered in Phase 2 are complex and detailed, and involve a huge number of documents, which must be reviewed and digested. The investigation must be thorough, but careful and detailed preparation should make it possible to ensure the hearings, once begun, are completed within a reasonable time

Before the phase 2 hearings, the Inquiry will produce its report on phase 1, and carry out, as far as it properly can, an investigation into the deaths caused by the fire, and make findings that will meet the coroner’s requirements. Sir Martin has made clear that some steps can and should be taken immediately in the interests of public safety, and he has put in place a procedure for considering proposals from core participants. Government is committed to providing the Inquiry with all the resources it needs to complete its important task.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

The Department is providing the Grenfell Tower Inquiry with the documents that it holds in accordance with its Terms of Reference and List of Issues. It will then be for the Inquiry to determine which of these documents are relevant.

The Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety was commissioned to consider the effectiveness of the current system of building regulation and fire safety, with a particular focus on multi-occupancy, high-rise residential buildings. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ consultation papers on the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations did not fall within the remit of the Review.

Answering body: Home Office

We will do everything we can to support the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry and enable Core Participants to attend. Where attendance at the Inquiry is raised, visas have been issued, including outside of the Immigration Rules, for periods of up to six months.

The Grenfell relatives’ policy introduced on 11 October 2017, was extended on 26 June to allow family members of victims or survivors with Core Participant status or who are called to give evidence, to extend their stay for further six-month periods. This is to allow relatives to remain at least until the anticipated close of the Inquiry oral evidence sessions.

Relatives who do not have CP status, or who wish to apply for a longer period of stay, may wish to consider whether they meet the requirements of existing published policies to come to or remain in the UK.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

With regard to your previous question HL6432 the Government is taking forward this work at pace and on the Expert Panels’ advice we are conducting a thorough investigation including further testing as quickly as possible. We are committed to providing an update by the end of April.

With regard to your previous question HL6433 and the 6 questions therein, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is examining the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017. It will establish the facts and will make recommendations as to the action needed to prevent a similar tragedy happening again. The Metropolitan police service is leading the criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire. Both the public inquiry and criminal investigation are independent from government and it would be wrong for me to comment on the scope of those investigations.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Prime Minister has made clear that survivors, families of victims and local residents affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy will have government funding for legal representation. The Prime Minister’s notice of determination to the Inquiry, published on 22 August confirms this. The Inquiry will publish details of legal costs in due course.