Require gas valve accessibility inspections every three years
Grenfell Tower Inquiry · Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · Issued 4 September 2024 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
That every gas transporter be required by law to check the accessibility of each [pipeline isolation] valve on its system at least once every three years and to report the results of that inspection to the Health and Safety Executive as part of its gas safety case review. (113.44)
Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · 4 Sep 2024 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The government's annual report stated the Health and Safety Executive developed a delivery plan agreed in September 2025 by its Operations and Regulation Committee, with a pipeline isolation valve access baseline assessment ongoing (Annual Report on Progress, MHCLG, February 2026).
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government — initial response
The government accepts this recommendation in principle. We agree with the Inquiry's findings that accessibility and functionality of such valves is key to ensuring health and safety by stopping gas supplies in an emergency. Whilst inspections every three years may be appropriate, there may be other situations where inspections should be more frequent or where a longer interval is suitable. To inform this, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is engaging with key stakeholders to fully map out and understand current system integrity approaches, noting changes to operator's arrangements since the Grenfell tragedy, and the interrelationships between gas network operators, building owners, accountable persons and landowners to understand the challenges encountered when issues with pipeline isolation valves are identified and routes to resolution. Using this evidential research, HSE will develop initial options by March 2025, with a proposed timetable for taking forward a preferred option.
UK Government · 16 Jan 2025 Written response →
●UK Government — follow-up
The government accepts this recommendation in principle. We agree with the Inquiry's findings that accessibility and functionality of such valves is key to ensuring health and safety by stopping gas supplies in an emergency. Whilst inspections every three years may be appropriate, there may be other situations where inspections should be more frequent or where a longer interval is suitable. To inform this, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is engaging with key stakeholders to fully map out and understand current system integrity approaches, noting changes to operator's arrangements since the Grenfell tragedy, and the interrelationships between gas network operators, building owners, accountable persons and landowners to understand the challenges encountered when issues with pipeline isolation valves are identified and routes to resolution. Using this evidential research, HSE will develop initial options by March 2025, with a proposed timetable for taking forward a preferred option.
UK Government · 26 Feb 2025 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 20 May 2026 Health and Safety Executive received pipeline isolation valve access data from network operators in December 2025 and completed analysis in February 2026, followed by targeted stakeholder engagement on identified trends. Recommendation closed as complete, accepted in principle: no statutory three-yearly inspection duty has been created, with HSE instead maintaining a risk-based engagement approach with network operators. Source →
- 1 Feb 2026 Health and Safety Executive developed delivery plan agreed September 2025 by Operations and Regulation Committee. Pipeline isolation valve access baseline establishment underway considering risk-based inspection approaches. Targeted stakeholder engagement commencing March 2026, informed by operator engagement on valve access barriers and existing inspection processes. 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.