'Not one recommendation' from Grenfell inquiry has been completed by Govt, says Mayor

21 March 2022, 08:20

None of the recommendations from the first phase of the Grenfell inquiry have been completed by the Government, Sadiq Khan has warned.

The Mayor of London said he was "extremely concerned" by the lack of progress and added that the Government and the housing sector "must not wait" to implement reforms.

But the housing department said Mr Khan's claims were "unfounded".

The inquiry into the Grenfell fire disaster spent its first phase examining how the blaze, in June 2017, spread throughout the 24-storey block in West London. Its next step will look into how the fire could happen.

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The first phase already published recommendations in October 2019, and Mr Khan said the London Fire Brigade has completed 26 of the 29 directed at them and other fire services.

These included hoods to help people flee smoked-out rooms, the use of tall ladders and changes to how towers are evacuated.

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A total of 12 recommendations over changes to the law and building regulation guidelines were sent to the Government but Mr Khan's office said no date has been put in place for when they will be completed.

Mr Khan said: "I am extremely concerned the Government has failed to complete a single recommendation from the first phase of the inquiry.

"It is vital that the Government and the housing and building industries act now and do not wait for the inquiry's next report to take action on such an important issue.

"Without faster action, the Government is failing the Grenfell community, putting lives at risk and leaving residents feeling unsafe in their homes.

"The Government, housing and building industries must not wait to implement the wholesale reforms that are needed to fix a broken system."

Boris Johnson had previously pledged to "legislate accordingly" if the inquiry said steps could be taken by Government and vowed: "I will not allow the lessons of this tragedy to fall through the cracks."

He added that "more widely, we plan to accept, in principle, all of the recommendations that Sir Martin [Moore-Bick, the inquiry's chairman] makes of central Government".

A housing department spokesman said: "The Government is making progress towards implementing the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's Phase 1 recommendations.

"We're introducing the biggest improvements in building safety for a generation - with tougher regulations that will give more rights and protections for residents and make homes safer.

"Our new building safety regulator will enforce a more stringent regulatory regime for high-rise residential buildings, and oversee the safety and performance of all buildings."