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P2-29

Establish independent College of Fire and Rescue

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

Government responseUK Government: Accepted in part (Feb 2025)

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

Recommendation, verbatim from the inquiry

●Inquiry recommendation

We welcome the government’s ambition to create an independent College of Fire and Rescue expressed in the white paper Reforming our Fire and Rescue Service and we therefore recommend that the government establish such a college immediately with sufficient resources to provide the following services nationally: a. practical training at all levels supplementary to that provided by individual fire and rescue services; b. education in the form of lectures and seminars on different aspects of the work of the fire and rescue services in order to share experience and promote good practice; c. research into matters that may affect the work of the fire and rescue services, including major fires; d. the development of equipment, policies and procedures suitable for ensuring the effectiveness of fire and rescue services nationally and the safety of firefighters and the public; e. setting and maintaining national standards of managerial competence for senior managers, including control room managers, and providing management training for, and regular assessment of, senior ranks by reference to such standards. (113.51)

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

Published evidence summary

AI-generated evidence summary

The Inquiry recommended establishing an independent College of Fire and Rescue. In September 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reported that a public consultation on the college closed in July 2026, with work focused on analysing responses to inform a formal response and implementation plans (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026). In its September 2026 timeline, the department scheduled publication of its consultation response for early 2027, with primary legislation planned between 2027 and 2029 and implementation beginning between 2028 and 2029 (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sep 2026). HM Government accepted the recommendation in principle in February 2025, stating that establishing the college would require primary legislation (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government response, Feb 2025).

AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 19 Oct 2026.

Government response

●UK Government · Accepted in part · 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 in principle. We recognise the importance of making sure that fire and rescue services are appropriately trained and that high standards are maintained. The creation of a college was also recommended in HMICFRS’s 2023 spotlight report on values and culture in fire and rescue services as a means of tackling challenges in these areas. Establishing a college will require primary legislation and consultation is the necessary first step. From summer 2025, we will consult on the most appropriate functions for the college to fulfil and how it could best be structured and delivered, including consideration of all the functions recommended by the Inquiry. Engaging with and hearing from a wide range of people and organisations will strengthen our proposals. An early priority will be to agree with sector partners the real-world outcomes that a successful college would deliver, to inform all further work.

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
2026
- Publication of consultation to gather views on the aims, functions, delivery model and funding model for a college of fire and rescue. – Complete
- Public consultation closes and team begins analysis of feedback to develop policy proposals for ministerial clearance. The team will also begin developing the government’s official response to the consultation. – (Q3, Jul to Sep)
2027
- Government to publish response to the public consultation. This will set out the college model we are looking to deliver. – (Q1, Jan to Mar)
- Organisational design work to determine the organisational form and governance arrangements for the college. – (Q2, Apr to Jun)
2027 to 2029 (when Parliamentary time allows)
- Introduction of primary legislation.
2028 to 2029
- Implementation of solution to deliver college functions begins.

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 public consultation on the College of Fire and Rescue went live on 20 May 2026 and closed on 15 July 2026. During this time, we engaged with a number of key stakeholders, including chief fire officers across the UK, the chairs of the fire authorities and colleagues in the devolved administrations, to discuss key points relating to the college’s aims, scope and design.

With the consultation now concluded, the work will now focus primarily on analysis of the responses, policy development to inform the government’s formal response to the consultation and plans for implementation.

From: Progress report September 2026: fire and rescue services (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 March, ministers met sector stakeholders to discuss aims; as published in our May progress report, we continued engagement and began planning a public consultation.

In September we announced our working group to support the delivery of the consultation and recommendation, the working group provides insight from key partners, and considerers the key aims of the college and the functions it should fulfil.

In December, we set out our plans to launch the consultation by May 2026, allowing more time to refine proposals and collect stronger evidence; the working group continues to meet regularly to consider aims, functions and cost‑effective delivery models. We also met with Samantha Dixon, Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy, to seek her approval for us to pursue key policy areas within the college of fire, which the Minister granted.

From: Annual Report February 2026: fire and rescue services (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.

Site note: The source gives this passage once, for recommendations 29 and 30 together. The same words are recorded on P2-29 and P2-30.

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.