Grenfell inquiry recommendations: Deadly fire was culmination of ‘decades of failure by government’

The 1,700 page document, released at 11am on Wednesday September 4, lays bare the Grenfell Inquiry’s findings around the actions of corporate firms in the construction industry, the local authority, London Fire Brigade and government.

The final report chaired by Sir Martin Moore-Bick said that Grenfell Tower was turned into a death trap by “dishonest” construction firms, architects and negligent politicians who ignored fire safety for decades.

A report in 2019, from the first phase of the inquiry, concluded the tower’s cladding did not comply with building regulations and was the “principal” reason for the rapid and “profoundly shocking” spread of the blaze.

What are the main findings of the report?

The inquiry’s main findings include:

• Manufacturers of cladding were “by far the largest contributor” to the fire, and engaged in “systematic dishonesty”, using “deliberate and sustained strategies” in order to make their products appear safe.
• Arconic, the company which made the cladding panels on the tower’s exterior, are found to have “deliberately concealed” the safety risk; two firms which produced insulation - Celotex and Kingspan - were found to have “misled”.
• Studio E and Harley Facades, involved in the 2011 refurbishment of the tower, are described as 'incompetent' firms that bear 'significant' responsibility for the tragedy. Project manager Rydon’s oversight of the work led to a culture of 'buck-passing', the report adds
• There were 'many opportunities' to address the risks posed by flammable cladding. These were missed by governments from the early 1990s onwards. The 2010-2015 
• Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government is criticised for cutting regulation, which, the report notes, led to safety being 'ignored, delayed or disregarded'
• The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council and its social housing arm, the Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), had a 'persistent indifference to fire safety, particularly the safety of vulnerable people'
• London Fire Brigade (LFB) lacked a strategy to evacuate the tower, and had an 'unfounded assumption' that the sort of blaze which occurred at the housing block could not happen.

What are the main recommendations from the report?

The report has outlined a number of recommendations for the construction industry, the government and the London Fire Brigade.

Some of the recommendations made by Sir Moore-Bick include appointing a construction regulator to oversee all aspects of the construction industry and bringing responsibility for all aspects of fire safety under one government department.

He also recommended having mandatory fire safety strategies for higher-risk buildings and establishing a college of fire and rescue.

What is the London Fire Brigade saying?

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: “On the night of the fire, the Brigade faced the most formidable challenge that any fire service in the UK has confronted in living memory. Staff responding to the fire on the night of the tragedy, as well as members of other emergency services who attended in support of the Brigade, showed extreme courage in the face of the most appalling of circumstances.

“In 2019, the Brigade accepted every recommendation from the Phase 1 Report and we have since implemented significant changes to how we operate. This year, we completed every recommendation directed at us as part of Phase 1. We have introduced important policies, new equipment, improved training and better ways of working, particularly in how we respond to fires in high-rise residential buildings, and Londoners are safer as a result. This was evidenced at the awful fire in Dagenham late last month.

“While we are now better prepared to respond to high-rise fires, we are not complacent. We are in dialogue with the Government and Mayor of London as we all look at what must be done to ensure that buildings in London are safe. We will continue to collaborate with them, advocating for improved standards in the built environment to ensure greater safety.

“We recognise the importance of the Inquiry’s findings and recommendations. We will set out an action plan, detailing our response to each recommendation, in due course. This will be developed following consultation and in collaboration with the Grenfell community and our Community Forum.”

Met Police statement

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said: “The publication of today’s inquiry report is a significant milestone for those deeply affected by the tragedy. The thoughts of the Met are especially with the bereaved, survivors and residents as well as the wider Grenfell community. We remember with much sadness all those who lost their lives.

“The report is direct, comprehensive and reaches clear conclusions.

“Our police investigation is independent of the public inquiry. It operates under a different legal framework and so we cannot simply use the report’s findings as evidence to bring charges.

“To secure justice for those who died and all those affected by the fire we must examine the report – line by line – alongside the evidence from the criminal investigation. As I said previously, this will take us at least 12-18 months.

“This will lead to the strongest possible evidence being presented to the Crown Prosecution Service so they can make charging decisions.

"I can’t pretend to imagine the impact of such a long police investigation on the bereaved and survivors, but we have one chance to get our investigation right.

“We will be thorough and diligent in our investigation while moving as swiftly as possible. We owe that to those who died and all those affected by the tragedy.”

What is the mayor of London saying?

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "For more than seven long years, the bereaved, survivors, residents and local Grenfell community have shown unrelenting strength, dignity and courage in the fight for justice. We all owe them a debt of gratitude. Whilst the publication of the second phase of the Inquiry is an important step on this journey, it is not the end. Those responsible must now be immediately held to account for their systematic dishonesty, corporate greed, institutional indifference and neglect. Companies found to have been to blame by the Inquiry must no longer receive any public contracts, as the police and CPS look into the bringing of criminal charges.

 "Everyone deserves the right to live in a safe home - a right denied to the residents of Grenfell Tower. Until we can say with confidence that the failings that led to this disaster can never be repeated, many of the bereaved, survivors and residents will never feel that they can truly rest. They are not alone. The road to justice is still too long, and change must be delivered without any further delay."

What is Grenfell United saying?

A statement from campaign group Grenfell United said: “Today marks the conclusion of a painful six years listening to the evidence of the deaths of 54 adults and 18 children, our loved ones, neighbours and friends. But justice has not been delivered.

“The inquiry report reveals that whenever there’s a clash between corporate interest and public safety, governments have done everything they can to avoid their responsibilities to keep people safe. The system isn’t broken, it's built this way.

“It speaks to a lack of competence, understanding and a fundamental failure to perform the most basic of duties of care.

“The recommendations published today are basic safety principles that should already exist, highlighting how the government’s roles, duties and obligations have been hollowed out by privatisation.”

Read the full statement here.

What is the Prime Minister saying?

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had said that the final report showed “substantial and widespread failings”. He said in a statement to parliament:  “The Government will carefully consider the report and its recommendations, to ensure that such a tragedy cannot occur again.

“I hope that those outside the Government will do the same. Given the detailed and extensive nature of the report, a further and more in-depth debate will be held at a later date.”