Government’s response to Grenfell findings met with mixed reaction

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

The Government’s avowed determination to implement the findings from the Grenfell Inquiry have drawn a mixed response – with some residents living near the doomed block saying plans to establish a construction regulator were “a bit too late”.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner made the announcement during a speech to the House of Commons yesterday in which she also said the government had backed all 58 recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

The deputy PM also announced investigations into seven organisations named in the inquiry, which released its findings in September last year.

Responding to the announcement, a resident who has lived near Grenfell Tower all her life, said it shouldn’t have taken the loss of 72 lives for the government to act.

Nora, 45, said: “I don’t really understand why it has taken this long. They still aren’t doing a good job and it feels like they’re still brushing things under the carpet.”

Nora said her niece had visited the tower and needed to use a fob to get out of the building. She said: “Who thinks of that? How can people escape?” Nora said her son is still distraught after losing his friend in the fire. She said the boy and his entire family perished in the fire.

Alexyia Jolly, 19, said the announcement was a good idea but was sceptical that the government would follow through with its promise.

She said: “At the end of the day, someone needs to be held to account. They [contractors] made a bunch of money while people died.”

Emma O’Connor, who escaped in a lift from the 20th floor with her partner, said the government should have learnt lessons from the Lakanal House fire in 2009, in which six people were killed and 20 more were injured in another high-rise blaze.

She recently launched a petition calling on Ms Rayner to ditch plans to demolish Grenfell Tower saying it should remain as a daily reminder of why regulations should be in place. She also urged the government to speed up the removal of dangerous cladding from existing buildings.

She said: “No matter how many fire engines attend a fire, there will be deaths. There will be another deadly Grenfell. People should not go to bed wondering if something is going to happen”.

Kimia Zabihyan, from the group Grenfell Next of Kin, also welcomed the announcement but urged the government to focus on seeking justice for the next of kin.

She and 13 survivors were among the attendees in the Commons. She said that although survivors had “tremendous respect” for Ms Rayner and her efforts, they remained frustrated by the lack of progress in holding someone responsible.

She said: “The feeling was that there should have already been regulations in place and that it shouldn’t have taken 72 people dying to arrest a systemic failure that was always going to happen.”

The announcement marks the government’s official response to the Grenfell Tower inquiry. The regulator will be responsible for monitoring building safety and sign-off bodies certifying construction products.

The government has also launched a green paper on new regulations for the construction products sector. The changes are aimed at tightening rules around testing and certifying, manufacturing and using construction products.

The Government said it is accepting in full 49 of the 58 recommendations made by Sir Martin Moore-Bick when he published his long-awaited report in September. The government said the remaining nine recommendations are being accepted “in principle”, with some requiring “further consideration” through consultations.

Ms Rayner, who also heads the ministry for housing, said the government would act on all of the Inquiry’s findings. She said: “The final report exposed in stark and devastating detail the shocking industry behaviour and wider failures that led to the fire, and the deep injustices endured by the bereaved, survivors, and residents.

“We are acting on all of the Inquiry’s findings, and today set out our full response, detailing the tough action we are taking to drive change and reform the system to ensure no community will ever have to face a tragedy like Grenfell ever again. That means greater accountability, stronger regulation, and putting residents at the heart of decision-making.

“We must deliver the fundamental change required. We owe that to the Grenfell community, to the country, and to the memory of those who lost their lives.”

The government has also apologised for its part in these failings and said it is continuing to support the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into the tragedy.

Pictured top: One of those expressing some scepticism is Nora, seen here near Grenfell Tower (Picture: LDRS/Adrian Zorzut)