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Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report
04 September 2024
Lead MP
Keir Starmer
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
No tags
Other Contributors: 36
At a Glance
Keir Starmer raised concerns about grenfell tower inquiry phase 2 report 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:
Government Statement
Government Statement
This morning, the final report of the Grenfell Tower inquiry was published by Sir Martin Moore-Bick. The minister expressed deep sorrow for the families affected by the tragedy, acknowledging a series of failures by multiple institutions leading up to and following the fire. He highlighted systemic issues within central government over decades, including the failure to act on known risks concerning combustible cladding panels. The statement included an apology from the British state and a commitment to ensure full accountability through criminal justice processes while supporting victims' calls for justice. Keir Starmer also promised to examine all 58 recommendations in detail and committed to taking radical actions to prevent future tragedies, including speeding up the remediation of unsafe cladding and reforming the construction products industry. The minister affirmed a generational shift in housing safety and quality, aligning it with human rights standards.
David Lammy
Lab
Tottenham
Question
MP Lammy questioned why Grenfell Tower was chosen by the Government for an expensive refurbishment if the cladding used was unsafe. He called out failures across multiple institutions and asked what immediate action will be taken regarding buildings with unsafe cladding.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledged ongoing work to address unsafe cladding but stated that progress has been too slow, citing the fire in Dagenham as an example of a building still undergoing remediation. He committed to taking necessary steps to speed up the process and forcing freeholders into remediation schemes if required.
Caroline Lucas
Green
Brighton, Pavilion
Question
MP Caroline Lucas asked about accountability for non-compliance with fire safety laws before 2017. She also inquired whether there will be a review of the cladding test regime.
Minister reply
The Minister confirmed that legal action is being pursued against those found responsible and promised to look at Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s recommendations regarding the testing regime, indicating full commitment to addressing these issues.
Nusrat Ghani
Con
Weaver Vale
Question
MP Nusrat Ghani expressed concern about the lack of progress in removing cladding and asked what measures will be taken for buildings where remediation is stalled.
Minister reply
The Minister responded by outlining plans to force freeholders into remediation schemes within set timescales, emphasising a legal requirement if necessary. He also committed to setting out further steps on remediation this autumn.
Diane Abbott
Ind
Hackney North and Stoke Newington
Question
Does the Prime Minister recognise how painful it must be for the Grenfell community to have had that tower looming over them for seven years, and can he give assurances regarding financial support and bringing those responsible to justice?
Minister reply
I thank my right hon. Friend for focusing on the community's pain and the need for a memorial decided by consultation with bereaved families. I commit to providing necessary support. Visiting Grenfell, it is clear how painful this experience continues to be; we must not let another seven years pass before justice is served.
Edward Davey
Lib Dem
Kingston and Surbiton
Question
I thank the Prime Minister for his extremely powerful comments and associate my party with all of them. The Grenfell disaster is a tragedy that shames our whole society... Can the Prime Minister tell us when that legislation will be published, and whether the duty will cover all public officials?
Minister reply
We will give the relevant authorities all the support and resources necessary to fully investigate criminality. We aim to respond as quickly as possible within six months to the report’s recommendations. The duty of candour is important; we will reflect on its content to ensure it incorporates the report's findings.
Joe Powell
Lab
Kensington and Bayswater
Question
The disaster was entirely foreseen and preventable, resulting from dishonesty and putting profit before people’s lives... Can he commit to ensuring that companies identified in the report are excluded from public contracts, held accountable under full law, and bear costs for remedial work?
Minister reply
We will ensure full accountability including criminal prosecution where appropriate. Companies found liable should be barred from public contracts and pay their share of costs. We agree on swift implementation of phase 2 recommendations.
Bob Blackman
Con
Harrow East
Question
It is clear that the conspiracy around product testing must face criminal proceedings... Will he bring responsibility under one Department, with one Minister responsible and a single regulator to prevent future wrongdoings?
Minister reply
We will report back on all recommendations within six months but may act more quickly if possible. We aim for full accountability across government departments.
Andrew Slaughter
Lab
Hammersmith and Chiswick
Question
Grenfell Tower is a daily presence for survivors, families of victims, and the wider community... Will he pledge that those complicit in the Grenfell fire are brought to justice?
Minister reply
There must be full accountability including bringing guilty parties to justice. The wider community has been deeply affected by this tragedy.
Bernard Jenkin
Con
Harwich and North Essex
Question
May I refer the Prime Minister to recommendation 113.58 regarding independent incident investigation of serious building failures... Could we come and see the Prime Minister about this very serious matter?
Minister reply
We will look at that recommendation, report back to the House, and set up a meeting for direct input on considerations.
Florence Eshalomi
Lab Co-op
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Question
First and foremost, today is about the families of Grenfell and the 72 people who died. For them, today is another emotionally exhausting day, but we must remember that their fight for justice is also our fight. Grenfell laid bare the sad truth of the stigma attached to social housing. It is a stigma I remember experiencing when people made assumptions because I lived on a council estate. It is a stigma that attaches to people from all walks of life—teachers, doctors and firefighters. They are people who pay their rent on time, but who are treated with disdain by housing providers. This damning report confirms that people’s voices were ignored, and that safety concerns about the industry were ignored or disregarded at all levels of the Government and the housing sector. It is unforgivable. The Prime Minister has spoken about the culture. Will he commit to ensuring that this new Government address the culture within our housing sector, which often treats social housing tenants as an afterthought?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend speaks powerfully and makes a really important point in relation to social housing, and the report is littered with examples of disrespect and of people not being listened to or taken seriously. Yes, policy and regulation are part of the answer to this issue, but policy and regulation on their own are not the complete answer. There has to be a change in culture and behaviour, and turning a corner needs to mean something more than passing a new law or putting in place new guidance, much needed though that is. It means all of us adopting a different culture and behaviour. Otherwise, we will be back here in I don’t know how many years having the same debate again, and we cannot visit that on the victims, the survivors, the deceased and the communities of Grenfell.
Stephen Flynn
SNP
Aberdeen South
Question
Our hearts ache at the injustice and horror that befell individuals and their families at Grenfell Tower, and I commend the Prime Minister for the strength and power of his remarks from the Dispatch Box today. Can he give a commitment that his Government will continue to work constructively with the devolved Governments to ensure the quick removal of all cladding right across these isles, so that we do not see a repeat of this horrible tragedy?
Minister reply
Yes, and that is a really important point. Regardless of where someone lives or which Government they live under, the right to safe and secure housing is important. The Deputy Prime Minister has already met the First Minister of Scotland, and we will take every opportunity to work jointly on this issue.
Clive Efford
Lab
Eltham and Chislehurst
Question
How many times must we come here and hear another example of how the state, which should be on the side of ordinary people, becomes the enemy of working-class people? We have had Hillsborough, the Horizon Post Office scandal, the contaminated blood scandal, Windrush, and the treatment of former armed forces personnel who are members of the LGBT community. In each of those, the state has become the enemy of the people and delayed paying compensation to them. Can the Grenfell inquiry be a watershed when we end the process by which the state becomes the enemy of working-class people, we treat them with the dignity they deserve, and we ensure that their compensation is paid rapidly and not delayed, as it has been in all those other cases? In the case of freeholders who are still holding out and not paying for the remedial work to their properties, it is about time they paid fines for delaying that work.
Minister reply
That is a really important point, because there have been I don’t know how many examples of injustice where people have not been listened to and have been disregarded. Different Prime Ministers over the years have stood at this Dispatch Box and quite genuinely made commitments on the back of reports. I do not doubt that for a minute. I think every Prime Minister who has stood here in relation to any of those injustices meant every word that he or she said in response, and yet it goes on. So there is something more fundamental that we have to make time to consider, because I do not want to be back at this Dispatch Box—or any future Prime Minister to be at this Dispatch Box—having a version of the same discussion about injustice, about people being disregarded, not listened to and not taken seriously after the event for too long, and about justice coming too late for people who desperately need it. That is what I mean by turning a corner.
Daisy Cooper
Lib Dem
St Albans
Question
The inquiry report is damning, and the testimony that we heard is utterly devastating. First and foremost, all our thoughts are with the victims, the survivors, the bereaved and everybody affected. In the last Parliament, many of us fought tooth and nail on a cross-party basis to improve the Fire Safety Bill and the Building Safety Bill so that social tenants and leaseholders who are still living in buildings covered in cladding and with other fire safety defects could get that remediation work done as quickly as possible. It is now clear that in some cases, the waterfall system that has been set up, by which we identify who is responsible, is simply not working and is taking far too long. One idea that was on the table in the last Parliament was that in some cases, the Government could put the money up to pay for the remediation, to take away the risk, and then use the power of the state and its lawyers to go after those responsible with penalties, so that the taxpayer would not lose out. Will the Prime Minister, who says that this is a moment of change and has committed to speed things up, please review that idea to see whether it could be used in some limited cases where there has still been no action?
Minister reply
That is a really important point. From my own constituency, I know of examples where there was a contract, then a subcontract, a subcontract and another subcontract. In one case in my constituency, it went through seven subcontractors before the person who was actually responsible was found. Everybody simply took a cut of the contract and passed it on. That is a real problem, and we have to get to the bottom of it. We cannot allow that to happen. Of course, we will consider any proposals that are put forward in response to this report, but this is a very real problem of contracts simply being subcontracted over and over again. Trying to find accountability is very, very difficult.
Dawn Butler
Lab
Brent East
Question
I thank the Prime Minister for his statement today. I recently visited the Grenfell site with Lord Boateng, who is in the Gallery today—
Minister reply
Yes I do, and I particularly agree that justice is not a question of grace or kindness; it is an entitlement. It is an entitlement of every single citizen in this country, and that needs to be honoured as we go forward from here. Can I just take the opportunity to thank all those working on the memorial, which I know is very important? The work on the memorial is at an important stage, and I know it is very important to the community.
Robert Jenrick
Reform
Newark
Question
I thank the Prime Minister for his statement today. The Grenfell fire was an unimaginable tragedy but, as he rightly said, it was also a comprehensive failure by the British state, and in many respects that comprehensive failure persists today. I am grateful for the words that he said about giving all resource and support to the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, because clearly the victims, the survivors and the community of North Kensington want the insights and the answers that they have partly had today, but they also want justice, and that needs to be delivered as soon as possible. Equally, I fully support the effort that the Prime Minister is going to make to see if further regulatory changes are required. They need to be made in a proportionate and effective way, and there are lessons to be learned from changes that we have made in the recent past. But when making those changes, can I urge him to look in particular at the status of the testing facility—the Building Research Establishment—and at the way it operates, which I think has failed significantly, as is laid out in the report? Finally, I concur with the broader point that the Prime Minister made today, which is that when one speaks to the victims and their families, one is left with a very strong sense that many people in social housing in our country feel that they are second-class citizens and that they are being treated with disrespect. That must end. Will he take forward the work that began with the social housing White Paper to ensure that that never happens again?
Minister reply
Yes, all support will be given to the police and the CPS, and I absolutely agree that this must be done as swiftly as possible. I think the police made a statement in relation to that earlier today. I will look at the particular point the right hon. Gentleman raises in relation to testing. I think the whole House needs to come together to recognise that in social housing there has been a profound disrespect for a very long time across a number of communities, and we have to turn a corner on that.
Margaret Mullane
Lab
Dagenham and Rainham
Question
Following the wildfires of 2022 in Dagenham and Rainham, the ongoing crisis at Launders Lane in Rainham and now the devastating fire at the Spectrum building, also in my constituency, will the Prime Minister join me in commending the outstanding work of our emergency services? Will he also comment on the Government’s plans to improve fire resilience and safety in residential buildings and to hold those who are responsible to account when tragedies like this happen?
Minister reply
Yes, it is important that they are held to account. I thank my hon. Friend for raising those issues in relation to Dagenham and I join her in commending the emergency services who have to respond to these awful incidents. From speaking to some of the first responders, I got a real sense of the impact it has on them. I know that the Deputy Prime Minister has visited the Dagenham scene in the last few days.
Jeremy Corbyn
Ind
Islington North
Question
I thank the Prime Minister and Sir Martin for their comprehensive report. The needless deaths at Grenfell highlight a contract culture, deregulation, privatisation, ignorance, and contempt by those who should have protected residents. I urge criminal action against negligent parties and ask if dangerous cladding will be removed from private sector leasehold buildings.
Minister reply
We are taking action on the issue of leaseholders facing insurance costs due to dangerous cladding. The Prime Minister is committed to improving council housing quality and ensuring safe evacuation plans for disabled residents.
Ben Coleman
Lab
Chelsea and Fulham
Question
On Chelsea council estates, there are discussions about Grenfell's incompetence and indifference from the local council. I ask if the Prime Minister will commit to working with local authorities to implement the report and ensure disabled residents have proper evacuation plans.
Minister reply
We will work closely with local authorities on implementing the report’s recommendations and ensuring proper evacuation plans for disabled residents.
Kit Malthouse
Con
North West Hampshire
Question
The pace of change has been frustrating, even years after the fire. I suggest establishing a Sub-Committee or cross-party Committee to monitor progress and provide external scrutiny on the report’s recommendations.
Minister reply
We will look at further powers necessary for implementing changes. The question of external scrutiny is important, and we will discuss with Members whether this should be handled by a Select Committee.
Barry Gardiner
Lab
Brent West
Question
Reinforcing the Prime Minister’s statement on consistent and measured view, I ask if powers can be taken to control buildings with non-compliant owners living in tax havens and recover costs by acquiring and selling such buildings.
Minister reply
We will look at further powers necessary for implementing changes. There cannot be suggestions that existing legislation is sufficient.
Siân Berry
Green
Brighton Pavilion
Question
I thank the Prime Minister for his statement and ask if access to fire risk assessments can be improved, particularly for social housing tenants and leaseholders.
Minister reply
We will look at the wider issues of access to risk assessments. The general debate is an opportunity to raise further points.
Battersea
Question
I welcome the Prime Minister's statement and ask for clear deadlines on removing flammable or unsafe cladding from high-rise blocks.
Minister reply
We need to push work forward with clear timetables. The report’s wording, stating deaths were 'entirely avoidable', must be chilling.
Simon Hoare
Con
North Dorset
Question
Colleagues have raised the issue of the urgent need for justice and prosecutions to be brought. Will he ensure that there is adequate resource in the policing arena and capacity in the court system to bring cases speedily?
Minister reply
We need to ensure resource is in place, clear about the speed of decision making, and that the courts are in a position to handle the cases as soon as they are ready.
Zarah Sultana
Lab
Coventry South
Question
Does the Prime Minister agree that deregulation and corporate greed were reasons for the Grenfell Tower catastrophe? When will the Government set up a statutory advisory body on fire policy?
Minister reply
Time and again, our first responders are asked to do challenging things. They need to be thanked. The report highlights two groups: one charged with responsibility, and the other those who lived in the tower.
Joy Morrissey
Con
Beaconsfield
Question
Will he join me in paying tribute again to volunteer organisations, including Grenfell United, and members of charities and churches working tirelessly in the aftermath?
Minister reply
We must stop talking about esteem for social housing tenants and act on it.
Kim Johnson
Lab
Liverpool Riverside
Question
How will the Prime Minister support leaseholders living in 3,000 medium and high-rise buildings still being monitored by the Government because they are clad in unsafe cladding?
Minister reply
Many premises are being monitored. That needs to continue. We need to bear down on all relevant authorities to ensure safety.
Sarah Gibson
Lib Dem
Chippenham
Question
Will the Prime Minister look carefully at building control inspection since deregulation, which is often not carried out in person but through phone calls and photographs?
Minister reply
I agree with that. The way building control inspections were carried out makes for a shocking read in the report.
Question
How will the Prime Minister ensure that those responsible for the broader building safety crisis should pay to make buildings safe at pace?
Minister reply
Justice needs to be speedy. It has already taken seven years, which doubles the need for speed.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
Will the findings and recommendations of the report be conveyed to the Minister at the Northern Ireland Assembly with urgency?
Minister reply
We must work with all relevant authorities in Northern Ireland, particularly on safety of people where they live.
Nesil Caliskan
Lab
Barking
Question
Will he reassure me that the Government will work closely with local authorities to ensure they have support for additional regulatory burdens?
Minister reply
We must work on the regulatory framework with local authorities and others charged with responsibility.
Mary Foy
Lab
City of Durham
Question
Can he ensure that residents, tenants, and professional firefighters are heard and listened to?
Minister reply
This case is an example where concerns were raised but not listened to. We must listen to those concerned.
Ruth Cadbury
Lab
Brentford and Isleworth
Question
How long will it take for UK building regulations to catch up, particularly on thermal insulation and fire safety risks?
Minister reply
We will look at this issue in light of the report. People fear for their safety because of conditions.
Nadia Whittome
Lab
Nottingham East
Question
Asked if the new Government would undertake work without delay to separate government from corporate lobbying, tackle social and racial injustices, and bring systemic change as urged by Grenfell United.
Minister reply
Keir Starmer committed to taking responsibility for the failures and working collaboratively to ensure that such tragedies do not happen again.
Alan Gemmell
Lab
Central Ayrshire
Question
Highlighted the similarities between the Grenfell fire and a 1999 fire in Irvine, Scotland, urging the government to look at lessons from the Garnock Court fire.
Minister reply
Keir Starmer acknowledged the need for further examination of external cladding issues beyond what has already been done.
Hayes and Harlington
Question
Expressed difficulty in containing anger upon reading the report, emphasising the urgent action needed. Asked about a definitive report for each constituency on actions taken and to be taken, as well as requested an urgent review of building regulations considering vulnerable residents.
Minister reply
Keir Starmer committed to providing information for a debate but noted that it needs to happen at a suitable time to ensure all questions are addressed properly. He acknowledged the need to consider buildings below the defined regulation heights.
Shadow Comment
Rishi Sunak
Shadow Comment
The shadow leader paid tribute to the strength of those affected by Grenfell Tower tragedy and acknowledged the comprehensive work of Sir Martin Moore-Bick's report. He expressed support for remediation efforts, praised the government’s creation of a £1 billion fund, and urged further financial consideration given the upcoming fiscal event. Sunak endorsed legislative improvements such as the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Building Safety Act 2022 but called for more regular updates to regulatory frameworks and a single regulator. He also acknowledged local failures highlighted by the report and committed to ensuring that all lessons are learned with honesty and directness, extending deepest apologies on behalf of the state.
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