LONDON (Parliament Politics magazine) – According to London mayor Sadiq Khan, the government has failed to implement a single suggestion from the public investigation into the Grenfell Tower incident.
Mr Khan questioned if the government and the housing industry were taking steps to implement the recommendations from the first phase of the investigation into the 2017 fire that killed 72 people.
The investigation’s initial part focused on how the fire spread across the 24-story west London tower.
Lack of development has the mayor very concerned.
Mr Khan expressed his grave concern about the government’s lack of progress since the recommendations of reports that were published in October of 2019.
The Phase 1 report of the Inquiry contains 12 recommendations directed primarily at the government. According to Mr Khan’s office, none have been completed yet, and the government has not offered a timeline for when they will be.
The suggestions, according to the report, include critical improvements to legislation and national guidelines on building rules, including fire safety.
The fire department responds
Mr Khan stated that the London Fire Brigade (LFB) had completed 26 of the 29 suggestions made to them and other fire rescue services.
The LFB has implemented smoke hoods to aid in the rescue of persons trapped in smoke-filled surroundings, as well as 32m and 64m ladders to combat fires in high-rise buildings and a comprehensive training programme to implement improvements in how the brigade responds to high-rise fires.
The LFB has made “significant changes”, according to Mr Khan, and looks to be dedicated to implementing the suggestions as quickly as feasible.
“However, I am extremely concerned the government has failed to complete a single recommendation from the first phase of the inquiry,” he continued.
It is critical that the government and the housing and construction industry act now rather than waiting for the next report of the investigation to take action on such a vital issue.
The government is failing the Grenfell community by failing to act quickly, putting lives at risk and leaving residents feeling frightened in their homes. The government, housing, and construction industries must move quickly to enact the systemic changes that are required to mend a broken system, he added.
The mayor’s assertion is unfounded
Mr Khan’s claim was deemed “unfounded” by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
According to a spokesperson, the government is working to put the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 1 findings into action.
They were bringing the most significant advancements in building safety in a generation, with stricter laws that will provide residents with more rights and protections while also making their houses safer.
The new building safety regulator will implement a stricter regulatory system for high-rise residential buildings while also overseeing the safety and performance of all structures, they added.
