National guidelines for high-rise evacuations
Grenfell Tower Inquiry · Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 Report · Issued 30 October 2019 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation, 33.22a
The government develop national guidelines for carrying out partial or total evacuations of high-rise residential buildings, such guidelines to include the means of protecting fire exit routes and procedures for evacuating persons who are unable to use the stairs in an emergency, or who may require assistance (such as disabled people, older people and young children).
Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 Report · 30 Oct 2019 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- National Evacuation Guidelines for carrying out partial or total evacuations of high-rise residential buildings were published on 5 February 2024 (National Evacuation Guidelines for Fire and Rescue Services, MHCLG, February 2024).
- The government's Phase 1 progress report stated this recommendation is complete (Quarterly Thematic Update, MHCLG, February 2025).
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners and managers through the Fire Safety Bill and Building Safety Bill, including requirements for premises information boxes, floor plans, lift inspections, fire door checks, evacuation signage, and fire safety instructions to residents.
UK Government · 21 Jan 2020 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 26 Feb 2025 Completed. National Evacuation Guidelines for carrying out partial or total evacuations of high-rise residential buildings were published on 5 February 2024. It is now for NFCC and FRSs to consider how best to draw on the guidelines in the development of their operational guidance. Source →
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.