Call issued for independent national oversight mechanism on Grenfell recommendations

Just ahead of the eighth anniversary of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in London’s North Kensington, the Committee expresses its hope that the Government will introduce an independent mechanism in the upcoming ‘Hillsborough Law’ and that, going forward, this will apply to the implementation of the recommendations of all public inquiries.

The Committee’s letter to the Secretary of State (jointly addressed to Alex Norris, Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth) suggests that the introduction of an independent mechanism will help reduce the risk of future Governments ‘repeating the catastrophic mistakes which have historically led to state-related deaths, from Hillsborough through to the infected blood scandal and on again to the Grenfell Tower fire itself’.

Following a short inquiry on the Government’s own response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Committee has shared a series of key findings. The letter outlines recommendations to Government on areas including engagement with Grenfell residents, capacity in the Building Control sector, the work of the Building Safety Regulator and delays to the sign-off on the safety of buildings, Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs), the Building Safety Levy and on Fire and Rescue Services.

Fighting for answers

Florence Eshalomi, chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee in Parliament, said: “It’s right that the Government has accepted all of the recommendations from the Phase 2 report outlining deep failings that led to the Grenfell disaster. How, though, can the loved ones of the Grenfell victims be asked to trust the Government to mark its own homework when they have spent nearly eight years fighting for answers as to why people were denied the most basic level of safety? That’s why, as a Committee, we strongly endorse calls for an independent mechanism to hold Government to account on implementing the Phase 2 recommendations.”

Eshalomi continued: “Unfortunately, it’s clear that there are still groups, particularly those from minority ethnic backgrounds, who feel that they have not been able to fully contribute to these processes. Before making any future decisions as part of its management of the Grenfell site, the Government must take steps to address these issues, including by ensuring it holds up-to-date contact details of those affected by the fire and that everyone on this list is contacted and their input sought.”

Further, Eshalomi noted: “The Grenfell fire highlighted the toxic stigma often faced by those living in social housing, wherein resident concerns were cruelly dismissed, neglected and ignored. As a Committee, we are determined to shine a light on this issue and to hold the Government to account for its role in addressing the failings in building safety, product standards and testing and also fire safety exposed by the tragedy at Grenfell. Never again must people be left without such basic levels of safety in their own homes.”

Deep concern

In the letter to the Secretary of State, the Committee expresses deep concern at the comments made at the Committee’s evidence session by Andy Roe, Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, in terms of how fire-safe existing Care Homes are at present.

The Committee “questions the wisdom of the decision not to mandate sprinklers in existing Care Homes” and, further, calls on the Government to urgently review the decision to mandate sprinkler installation in new Care Homes, but not existing ones.