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Grenfell Tower Fire Eighth Anniversary 2025-06-10
10 June 2025
Lead MP
Joe Powell
Debate Type
Adjournment Debate
Tags
ImmigrationNHSHousing
Other Contributors: 10
At a Glance
Joe Powell raised concerns about grenfell tower fire eighth anniversary 2025-06-10 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
On Saturday, we mark eight years since 72 people lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire—eight years of fighting for truth, eight years without justice, and eight years of too often glacial change. This will be the last anniversary before the tower starts to come down, and it will no longer stand as a painful symbol of injustice, greed and impunity on the west London skyline. As the tower starts to be deconstructed, it is even more important that we remember the 72 people who lost their lives, and I am sure that this House will continue to stand united with their families, the survivors and the community until justice is served and systemic change is implemented.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab/Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Of the 72 people who lost their lives, 18 were children. Some 37 residents were disabled, and 15 of them died.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Does the hon. Member agree that more effort must be made to expedite the process, to ensure that families and friends have justice and the closure that they need to grieve and move on with their lives?
Kim Johnson
Lab
Liverpool Riverside
Does my hon. Friend agree with me that, if justice is to be delivered, the Government need to think very carefully about delivering on the Hillsborough law and the duty of candour?
Amanda Martin
Lab
Portsmouth North
Eight years on, we remember the deep sorrow, and stand with the survivors and families. Grenfell really did expose failures in building safety and massive social inequality.
Tom Collins
Lab
Worcester
How that was able to happen is a question that must be answered. In the meantime, does the Minister agree that the building managers—in this case, FirstPort—must put residents first?
Andy Slaughter
Lab
Hammersmith and Chiswick
It is good news that the Government have accepted all of Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s recommendations, but does my hon. Friend agree that the four-year timetable is a long time to wait on top of the eight years that have already passed?
Scott Arthur
Lab
Edinburgh South West
In Scotland, after eight years, just one building has been remediated. Hopefully in England, the pace is faster than that.
Vauxhall
Eshalomi supports Powell's call for banning companies involved in the tragedy from future contracts and calls for additional funding to ensure swift justice through prosecutions.
Powell agrees with Eshalomi that maintaining funding for the Met police is crucial until their work concludes, emphasising the need to prevent taxpayer money going to companies involved in the tragedy.
Kim Johnson
Lab
Liverpool Riverside
Added concerns about leaseholders affected by delays in remediation efforts.
Government Response
I thank my hon. Friend Joe Powell for securing this important debate on the eighth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire. The tragedy has been a profound wake-up call, prompting an overhaul of building safety regulations in England. Since the disaster, our government has accepted all Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s recommendations and we have implemented more than 50 measures to improve building safety.
We understand that many people are still living in buildings with fire safety defects. We will continue to support local authorities and housing providers as they remediate unsafe cladding materials. The Building Safety Fund is a key element of this, providing over £6 billion for the removal of unsafe ACM cladding from high-rise residential blocks.
The government recognises that more needs to be done to ensure residents are not left in limbo. We are committed to reducing the time it takes for remediation work to complete and to ensuring that leaseholders are fully supported throughout this process. We will also continue our efforts to make social housing providers aware of the available funding and support.
To address the issues highlighted by my hon. Friend Joe Powell, we are considering additional measures such as widening access to the Building Safety Fund for social housing providers so they can accelerate remediation work and focus on building new homes. The Minister acknowledges the ongoing impact of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and reiterates the government's commitment to systemic change. He emphasises the importance of listening to survivors' voices and addressing racial and disability discrimination factors highlighted in the inquiry. Norris commits to transparency, accountability, and swift implementation of recommendations from public inquiries. He promises that nothing will take a day longer than necessary for delivery. The Minister also outlines plans for a national oversight mechanism to track progress on the Grenfell Tower inquiry recommendations and the Hillsborough law with legal duties of candour for public servants. Additionally, he commits to supporting the independent memorial commission in creating a fitting tribute. The Minister acknowledged the ongoing issues stemming from the Grenfell Tower disaster, including budget cuts and mental health needs. He committed to working with local authorities and disability groups to ensure adequate funding and support services are in place. The response addressed challenges around social housing, remediation pace, and accessibility of the building safety fund for registered social landlords. The Minister emphasised a commitment to justice and support for the community, promising updates on these issues.
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