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P2-4

Appoint Chief Construction Adviser

Grenfell Tower Inquiry · Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · Issued 4 September 2024 · Addressed to: UK Government

Government responseUK Government: Accepted (Feb 2025)

DeliveryMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says in progress (Sep 2026)

Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry

●Inquiry recommendation

That the Secretary of State appoint a Chief Construction Adviser with a sufficient budget and staff to provide advice on all matters affecting the construction industry, including: a) monitoring all aspects of the department's work relating to the Building Regulations and statutory guidance; b) providing advice to the Secretary of State on request; and c) bringing to the attention of the Secretary of State any matters affecting the Building Regulations and statutory guidance or matters affecting the construction industry more generally of which the government should be aware. (113.9)

Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · 4 Sep 2024 Source PDF →

Published evidence summary

AI-generated evidence summary

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reported in September 2026 that recruitment for a Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser is underway, with a successful candidate expected to be appointed between October and December 2026 (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026). The department stated in February 2026 that this unified role will replace both its Chief Scientific Adviser and an interim Chief Construction Adviser appointed for 12 months in September 2025 (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Feb 2026).

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026.

Government response

●UK Government · Accepted · 26 Feb 2025

Words of: HM Government, Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government response (CP 1248), presented to Parliament by the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, 26 February 2025

The government accepts this recommendation. We will appoint a Chief Construction Adviser to advise the Secretary of State, to monitor the department’s work relating to the Building Regulations, statutory guidance and the construction industry more generally, and to bring industry together and hold it to account to help design and deliver the progress we must make together to realise effective reform and culture change. The Chief Construction Adviser will also provide direct input and convene industry engagement into the design and implementation of the single regulator.

Extract from: Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government response (HTML version)

Site note: This is the government's response to the Phase 2 report (CP 1248, published 26 February 2025). It prints each recommendation and then the response to it. Where the recommendation is addressed to a body outside government, the response prints that body's own acceptance (the Architects Registration Board and RIBA, HMICFRS, London Fire Brigade, the National Fire Chiefs Council, the British Standards Institution, the National Police Chiefs' Council), and the row is filed under that body.

Delivery

●Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says in progress · 10 Sep 2026

Timeline for delivery
2025
- Appointment of the interim Chief Construction Adviser. – Complete
2026
- Appointment of the Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser. – (Q4, Oct to Dec)

From: Progress report September 2026: implementation timeline for Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations (part of Grenfell Tower Inquiry Government Progress Report: September 2026)

Site note: This is the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's progress report of September 2026 on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations. Where the passage describes work by another body, such as the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade, fire and rescue services, the British Standards Institution or the Cabinet Office, it is the Ministry's account of that body's progress, and the row is filed under the Ministry.

Earlier statements on delivery (0)

●Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · 10 Sep 2026

The recruitment process to appoint a Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser is currently underway following the launch of the recruitment campaign earlier this year. We anticipate a successful candidate being appointed by the end of 2026.

From: Progress report September 2026: the construction industry (part of Grenfell Tower Inquiry Government Progress Report: September 2026)

Site note: This is the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's progress report of September 2026 on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations. Where the passage describes work by another body, such as the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade, fire and rescue services, the British Standards Institution or the Cabinet Office, it is the Ministry's account of that body's progress, and the row is filed under the Ministry.

●Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government · 25 Feb 2026

In our May 2025 progress report, we set out our plans to establish a Chief Construction Adviser role to raise standards, improve behaviours and rebuild trust across the built environment sector. To allow priority work to begin quickly, we appointed an interim adviser to focus on urgent areas such as the design and implementation of the single regulator, finalising the responsibilities of the substantive role, and planning for the appointment of a substantive advisory role in 2026.

In September 2025, the Minister for Building Safety appointed Thouria Istephan as Interim Chief Construction Adviser for a period of 12 months. This interim appointment, made through a direct ministerial process and on a part‑time basis, has enabled expert leadership to be put in place and vital work to begin while arrangements for the substantive role are developed

As Interim Chief Construction Adviser, Thouria Istephan has provided expert, independent advice to the government on building safety and regulatory reform. Today, the Interim Chief Construction Adviser has issued a statement setting out their priorities and intentions to issue a report at the end of their term.

The government intends to recruit a Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser (CCSA) by the end of 2026. This role will replace the Interim Chief Construction Adviser and MHCLG’s Chief Scientific Adviser. The new, unified role will:

- Provide a single authoritative source of independent technical challenge to ministers and officials on issues relating to construction, science and engineering;

- Strengthen the government’s decision making

- Reduce fragmentation between policy design and delivery practice; and

- Widen access to technical experts in different disciplines and enabling more efficient cross-government work on construction matters and through the government’s Chief Scientific Adviser network.

We plan to launch the recruitment campaign for the role of Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser in March 2026, with the selected candidate expected to take up the post by the end of 2026.

From: Annual Report February 2026: the construction industry (part of Grenfell Tower Inquiry Government Annual Report: February 2026)

Site note: This is the annex of the government's Phase 2 annual report (CP 1512, published 25 February 2026) as GOV.UK publishes it, one page per theme: the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's account. Where the passage describes work by another body, such as the National Fire Chiefs Council, London Fire Brigade, the British Standards Institution, the Health and Safety Executive or the Cabinet Office, it is the report's account of that body's progress, and the row is filed under the Ministry. The status is what the passage says: completed only where it says the recommendation is complete or closed.

How this page is built

The recommendation and the government responses are verbatim from primary documents. Delivery statements and other bodies' findings are shown in their own words, each with its source. The summary is written by this site and labelled as such. The Index does not paraphrase sources or characterise intent; it records what has been published.