Parliamentary activity

Answering body: Cabinet Office

I refer the Honourable Member to the 11 May letter that the Prime Minister wrote to the Inquiry Chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, confirming her decision to appoint additional panel members gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/grenfell-tower-inquiry-update

The Prime Minister will make the appointments in accordance with sections 4,7(1)(b) and 7(2)(b) of the Inquiries Act 2005

Answering body: Leader of the House of Lords

My Rt Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement to the House of Commons:

The fire in Grenfell Tower was an unimaginable tragedy, and I am determined that justice is done for the victims, survivors, bereaved and the wider community.

On 21 December 2017, I wrote to Sir Martin Moore-Bick, chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry with my decision not to appoint additional panel members to the Inquiry at that time. The Inquiries Act 2005 affords me the power to appoint panel members at any time during the Inquiry and I previously indicated my intention to keep the matter under review.

Since December, the Inquiry has made significant progress. It has received some 330,000 documents, and expects that figure to grow to 400,000. Sir Martin’s team have conducted a first stage review of approximately 183,000 documents. The Inquiry has confirmed that it is continuing to identify potentially relevant providers of documents as work progresses.

The process of gathering and identifying relevant documents for phase 2 has started in parallel with the phase 1 disclosure exercise. The Inquiry has confirmed that it is expecting that a “significant volume of documentation will be disclosed at this stage”.

Sir Martin has appointed 547 core participants to the Inquiry – 519 of them individuals from the Grenfell community. This is an unprecedented number.

Given the extent of the tragedy, we should not be surprised by the scale and range of issues that are emerging from the Inquiry’s early work.

Phase 2 of the Inquiry will be the largest phase in terms of the number of issues to be considered, and it is appropriate for me to reflect now on the two distinct phases of the Inquiry’s work and to consider the most appropriate composition of the Inquiry panel for phase 2.

To ensure that the Inquiry panel itself also has the necessary breadth of skills and diversity of expertise relevant to the broad range of issues to be considered in phase 2, and to best serve the increasing scale and complexity of the Inquiry, I have decided to appoint an additional two panel members to support Sir Martin’s chairmanship for phase 2 of the Inquiry’s work onwards. I wrote to Sir Martin yesterday, informing him of my decision.

Once suitable panel members have been identified, I will write to Sir Martin again to seek his consent to any appointment, in accordance with section 7(2)(b) of the Inquiries Act 2005.

Answering body: Prime Minister

The fire in Grenfell Tower was an unimaginable tragedy, and I am determined that justice is done for the victims, survivors, bereaved and the wider community.

On 21 December 2017, I wrote to Sir Martin Moore-Bick, chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry with my decision not to appoint additional panel members to the Inquiry at that time. The Inquiries Act 2005 affords me the power to appoint panel members at any time during the Inquiry and I previously indicated my intention to keep the matter under review.

Since December, the Inquiry has made significant progress. It has received some 330,000 documents, and expects that figure to grow to 400,000. Sir Martin’s team have conducted a first stage review of approximately 183,000 documents. The Inquiry has confirmed that it is continuing to identify potentially relevant providers of documents as work progresses.

The process of gathering and identifying relevant documents for phase 2 has started in parallel with the phase 1 disclosure exercise. The Inquiry has confirmed that it is expecting that a “significant volume of documentation will be disclosed at this stage”.

Sir Martin has appointed 547 core participants to the Inquiry – 519 of them individuals from the Grenfell community. This is an unprecedented number.

Given the extent of the tragedy, we should not be surprised by the scale and range of issues that are emerging from the Inquiry’s early work.

Phase 2 of the Inquiry will be the largest phase in terms of the number of issues to be considered, and it is appropriate for me to reflect now on the two distinct phases of the Inquiry’s work and to consider the most appropriate composition of the Inquiry panel for phase 2.

To ensure that the Inquiry panel itself also has the necessary breadth of skills and diversity of expertise relevant to the broad range of issues to be considered in phase 2, and to best serve the increasing scale and complexity of the Inquiry, I have decided to appoint an additional two panel members to support Sir Martin’s chairmanship for phase 2 of the Inquiry’s work onwards. I wrote to Sir Martin yesterday, informing him of my decision.

Once suitable panel members have been identified, I will write to Sir Martin again to seek his consent to any appointment, in accordance with section 7(2)(b) of the Inquiries Act 2005.

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: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Speaking at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s procedural hearing on 21 March, the Metropolitan Police Service’s legal representative remarked that the forensic and evidential picture about the cause and spread of the Grenfell Tower fire was not going to be complete until autumn 2018.

Answering body: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

My Department has regular discussions with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on housing and other support services for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, including some who do not have settled immigration status. The Government will ensure that, subject to usual checks, all those who are required to either provide evidence in person, or to be in the UK to participate in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry will be allowed to do so.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry is considering a range of issues in relation to the Grenfell Tower fire. It hopes to complete its initial report, focussing on the events of the night of 14 June 2017, in autumn 2018.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Inquiry timetable and the working hours of the team are matters for the Chairman of the independent Inquiry.

At the Inquiry's procedural hearing on 11 and 12 December the Inquiry Counsel gave an update on the work of the Inquiry so far. He confirmed that the Inquiry has to date received 231,000 documents from 33 document providers. They expect to receive a further 40,000 documents. They are reviewing these documents at a rate of 12,000 per week, which the Inquiry expects to rise to 20,000 in January as the reviewing team expands. They have received 554 applications for core participant (CP) status, of which it has granted 424.

The Inquiry also confirmed that it was their aim to complete its report on phase 1 of its work by autumn 2018. A more detailed timetable of the Inquiry's work would be published in January 2018, with a further procedural hearing at the end of January.

Transcripts and videos of each hearing are available on the Inquiry's website at https://www.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/

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.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Inquiry timetable and the working hours of the team are matters for the Chairman of the independent Inquiry.

At the Inquiry's procedural hearing on 11 and 12 December the Inquiry Counsel gave an update on the work of the Inquiry so far. He confirmed that the Inquiry has to date received 231,000 documents from 33 document providers. They expect to receive a further 40,000 documents. They are reviewing these documents at a rate of 12,000 per week, which the Inquiry expects to rise to 20,000 in January as the reviewing team expands. They have received 554 applications for core participant (CP) status, of which it has granted 424.

The Inquiry also confirmed that it was their aim to complete its report on phase 1 of its work by autumn 2018. A more detailed timetable of the Inquiry's work would be published in January 2018, with a further procedural hearing at the end of January.

Transcripts and videos of each hearing are available on the Inquiry's website at https://www.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/

Answering body: Cabinet Office

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the Prime Minister’s Written Statement of 14 September. Information about internal discussion and advice is not normally disclosed.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

Funding for legal representation for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire is a matter for the independent Grenfell Tower Inquiry, to be decided in line with the Inquiries Act 2005, the Inquiry Rules 2006, the Inquiry’s costs protocol (‘Protocol Relating to Legal Representation at Public Expense’) and the Prime Minister’s determination on funding.

Paragraph 6 of the Inquiry’s costs protocol confirms that the Prime Minister has determined that the survivors and their families, the bereaved families and local residents affected by the tragic events at Grenfell Tower will automatically meet the requirements of the Inquiry Rules in respect of financial resources. A copy of the protocol can be found on the Inquiry’s website.

The Inquiry will publish details of its expenditure after the end of the financial year.

Answering body: Department for Communities and Local Government

The Family and Friends Assistance Centre is a centre for bereaved families providing them with access to professional support from a multi-disciplinary team and space to spend time together. The centre has been operational since the immediate days following the fire, overseen initially by the Grenfell Response Team and then the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council. Confidential rooms provide a comfortable environment with staff on hand to provide support and advice.

The Centre recently moved to new long-term premises and services include emotional support and counselling; NHS Post Traumatic Stress Disorder support; financial advice by the Red Cross and support from specialist keyworkers, Family Liaison Officers and Victim Support. The Senior Investigatory Officer from the Metropolitan Police Service also attends the Centre to provide a link to the ongoing police investigation.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry will be engaging with bereaved families at the Centre, explaining processes and answering queries.

At the Autumn Budget the Government announced £28 Million to enable the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council to support the victims and communities. This includes £3 million towards the operating costs of the Friends and Family Assistance Centre for the next three years

Answering body: Department for Communities and Local Government

According to the Metropolitan Police, a Hotpoint fridge freezer has been identified as the initial source of the Grenfell Tower fire. Advice for members of the public who are concerned about risk from their fridge freezer is available on the Government’s Product Recall website:

https://productrecall.campaign.gov.uk

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry, set up by the Prime Minister, is examining the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017. Sir Martin Moore Bick, the Chairman of the independent inquiry, hopes to provide the Prime Minister with a first report by early April next year. This report will include the development of the fire; where and how it started, how it spread and the chain of events before it was extinguished.

Answering body: Department for Communities and Local Government

As the Secretary of State announced at the National Housing Federation Conference on 19 September, we will bring forward a Green Paper on social housing in England.

The Green Paper will be a wide-ranging review of the issues facing the sector and the most substantial report of its kind for a generation.

The Housing Minister’s engagement with social housing tenants over the coming months will feed into the scope and content of the Green Paper.

Answering body: Prime Minister

On 15 August 2017, I announced the formal setting up of a public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, to be chaired by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, and its terms of reference. This followed Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s letter to me of 10 August, which advised me of the outcome of the public consultation on the scope of the terms of reference, and his recommendations. I was happy to accept Sir Martin’s recommendations without amendment.

The Inquiry’s full terms of reference are:

(i) to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017, including

(a) the immediate cause or causes of the fire and the means by which it spread to the whole of the building;

(b) the design and construction of the building and the decisions relating to its modification, refurbishment and management;

(c) the scope and adequacy of building regulations, fire regulations and other legislation, guidance and industry practice relating to the design, construction, equipping and management of high-rise residential buildings;

(d) whether such regulations, legislation, guidance and industry practice were complied with in the case of Grenfell Tower and the fire safety measures adopted in relation to it;

(e) the arrangements made by the local authority or other responsible bodies for receiving and acting upon information either obtained from local residents or available from other sources (including information derived from fires in other buildings) relating to the risk of fire at Grenfell Tower, and the action taken in response to such information;

(f) the fire prevention and fire safety measures in place at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017;

(g) the response of the London Fire Brigade to the fire; and

(h) the response of central and local government in the days immediately following the fire;

and

(ii) to report its findings to the Prime Minister as soon as possible and to make recommendations.

Sir Martin has said that he is considering appointing assessors to assist him in his task. He considers it likely that he shall wish to appoint a diverse group of people whose experience extends to the occupation and management of social housing and the administration of local government more generally, as well as to matters of a more technical scientific nature. He also states that at a later stage, he may also wish to appoint others to assist on particular aspects of the investigation. He will make his decisions public in due course. I have not appointed any other members to the Inquiry Panel at this stage. However, the Inquiries Act 2005 allows for appointments to be made, with the consent of Sir Martin, during the course of the Inquiry. This enables the composition of the Inquiry Panel to be kept under review.

My exchange of correspondence with Sir Martin is in the Library of the House.

Sir Martin is holding a preliminary hearing later today where he will set out further detail on how he intends on conducting the Inquiry.

In addition to the work of the Inquiry, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has already announced an Independent Review into Building Regulations and Fire Safety, led by Dame Judith Hackitt. This will urgently assess the effectiveness of current building and fire safety regulations and related compliance and enforcement issues, with a focus on multi occupancy high rise residential buildings. The Review will co-operate fully with the Inquiry. Sir Martin has set out his reasons for not looking into the broader social housing issues but, as he said in his letter, they should not be ignored and I am determined that these important questions are not left unanswered. As a first step, I have asked my Hon. Friend the Housing Minister (Alok Sharma) to personally meet and hear from as many social tenants as possible, as well as other residents of social housing estates, both in the immediate area around Grenfell Tower and across the country. The Housing Minister has already met a number of representative groups and will continue meet tenants during October and November.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

My Rt Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has made the following statement to the House of Commons:

On 15 August 2017, I announced the formal setting up of a public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, to be chaired by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, and its terms of reference. This followed Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s letter to me of 10 August, which advised me of the outcome of the public consultation on the scope of the terms of reference, and his recommendations. I was happy to accept Sir Martin’s recommendations without amendment.

The Inquiry’s full terms of reference are:
(i) to examine the circumstances surrounding the fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017, including
(a) the immediate cause or causes of the fire and the means by which it spread to the whole of the building;
(b) the design and construction of the building and the decisions relating to its modification, refurbishment and management;
(c) the scope and adequacy of building regulations, fire regulations and other legislation, guidance and industry practice relating to the design, construction, equipping and management of high-rise residential buildings;
(d) whether such regulations, legislation, guidance and industry practice were complied with in the case of Grenfell Tower and the fire safety measures adopted in relation to it;
(e) the arrangements made by the local authority or other responsible bodies for receiving and acting upon information either obtained from local residents or available from other sources (including information derived from fires in other buildings) relating to the risk of fire at Grenfell Tower, and the action taken in response to such information;
(f) the fire prevention and fire safety measures in place at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017;
(g) the response of the London Fire Brigade to the fire; and
(h) the response of central and local government in the days immediately following the fire;
and
(ii) to report its findings to the Prime Minister as soon as possible and to make recommendations.

Sir Martin has said that he is considering appointing assessors to assist him in his task. He considers it likely that he shall wish to appoint a diverse group of people whose experience extends to the occupation and management of social housing and the administration of local government more generally, as well as to matters of a more technical scientific nature. He also states that at a later stage, he may also wish to appoint others to assist on particular aspects of the investigation. He will make his decisions public in due course. I have not appointed any other members to the Inquiry Panel at this stage. However, the Inquiries Act 2005 allows for appointments to be made, with the consent of Sir Martin, during the course of the Inquiry. This enables the composition of the Inquiry Panel to be kept under review.

My exchange of correspondence with Sir Martin is in the Library of the House.

Sir Martin is holding a preliminary hearing later today where he will set out further detail on how he intends on conducting the Inquiry.

In addition to the work of the Inquiry, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has already announced an Independent Review into Building Regulations and Fire Safety, led by Dame Judith Hackitt. This will urgently assess the effectiveness of current building and fire safety regulations and related compliance and enforcement issues, with a focus on multi occupancy high rise residential buildings. The Review will co-operate fully with the Inquiry. Sir Martin has set out his reasons for not looking into the broader social housing issues but, as he said in his letter, they should not be ignored and I am determined that these important questions are not left unanswered. As a first step, I have asked my Hon. Friend the Housing Minister (Alok Sharma) to personally meet and hear from as many social tenants as possible, as well as other residents of social housing estates, both in the immediate area around Grenfell Tower and across the country. The Housing Minister has already met a number of representative groups and will continue meet tenants during October and November.

Answering body: Department for Communities and Local Government

I have met with representatives of national tenant organisations to seek their views on this process and a programme of events is currently been drawn up so I can personally meet and hear from as many social tenants both in the immediate area around Grenfell Tower but also across the country.

Answering body: Department for Communities and Local Government

As announced by the Prime Minister on 15 August, it is incredibly important that we look into the wider questions raised by the Grenfell Tower fire – including around social housing – and how best to address these issues.

In taking this forward, it is also important that we engage directly with social tenants to help build up a comprehensive picture of some of the immediate issues they are facing, as well as to identify any common concerns that must inform any national approach.

I have met with representatives of national tenant organisations to seek their views on this process, and a programme of events is currently been drawn up for me to personally meet and hear from as many social tenants both in the immediate area around Grenfell Tower, but also across the country. There will be further announcements on this work shortly as arrangements are finalised.

Answering body: Department for Communities and Local Government

We wrote on 22 June and 11 July to update all Members of Parliament on the Grenfell Tower disaster, and will continue to provide regular updates at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/grenfell-tower

We, as well as Home Office colleagues, will continue to provide what information we can to hon. Members during the public inquiry.

Answering body: Cabinet Office

The Inquiry is a statutory inquiry established under the Inquiries Act. It is independent of Government. The Inquiry’s Terms of Reference have not yet been determined. The Prime Minister has asked the Inquiry team to conduct a public consultation on the Terms of Reference and make recommendations on what they should cover. Details of the consultation process are published on the Inquiry’s website (www.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk).