Sadiq Khan is “extremely concerned” over lack of progress made by government since the first phase of Grenfell Inquiry

According to London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, ministers have “failed to complete a single recommendation” from the first phase of a public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire.

The inquiry, which looked at where the June 2017 fire originated and how it spread to tragically kill 72 residents in the tower block, published its findings in October 2019.

The report detailed several recommendations including vital changes to legislation that would require owners of every high-rise residential building to carry out regular inspections of lifts and share details of the floorplans and cladding materials with their local fire and rescue service. It also urged the development of national guidelines for large-scale evacuations.

To date, none of these implementations have been implemented, and no deadline has been provided by the government for when they will be, according to the mayor’s office.

A spokesperson for the Justice4Grenfell campaign said: “From the day of the fire, there has been no real political will for accountability or action. It is in the gift of the government to grant an inquiry, they agree the terms of reference, they appoint the judge, yet there is no legal requirement for them to take on board the recommendations and findings of [the] inquiries.”

Sadiq Khan said he was “extremely concerned” by the lack of progress made by the government since the first phase of the inquiry was published more than two years ago. He announced that, meanwhile, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) had completed 26 out of the 29 recommendations directed towards them and other fire and rescue services.

Various safety regulations have been introduced by the brigade, such as the use of smoke hoods to aid in the rescue of civilians in smoke-filled environments, and the use of 32-metre and 64-metre ladders, recently utilised after a fire broke out in a 21-storey housing development in Whitechapel.

The Fire Commissioner for London, Andy Roe, said: “While there is some work still to do, I am pleased to say that we now have important new policies, practices, training and equipment in place to help protect Londoners and firefighters.”

Khan said the government and the housing and building industries must act now, rather than wait for the inquiries phase two report.

He said: “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.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, argued Khan’s claims were “unfounded”, saying: “The government is making progress towards implementing the Grenfell Tower inquiry’s phase one 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 buildings.”

Secure your ticket for FIREX 2023!

16-18 May 2023, ExCeL London | Bringing competency in fire safety to the forefront

Connect with the fire safety community at FIREX 2023. You'll find hundreds of leading exhibitors from the active and passive fire sector, showcasing all the latest in fire protection, prevention and detection solutions. With third-party product approvals a condition of exhibiting, visitors can be assured of the quality of solutions they're seeing, and the all-new distributor network is also launching this year.

Network with thousands of peers and likeminded professionals, while attending dedicated conference sessions covering updates in legislation, technology and building safety from leading figures in the industry.

Secure your place by registering for your FREE ticket here!