Sadiq Khan has slammed the government for failing to adopt any of the recommendations made during the first phase of the Grenfell Tower inquiry.
The inquiry, which was launched following the tragic fire that killed 72 residents of Grenfell Tower in 2017, made 12 recommendations aimed specifically at the government. But Mr Khan said the government “has not completed a single recommendation”.
It comes as the Mayor of London released an update on Monday on progress made by the London Fire Service, which issued 29 recommendations during Phase 1 of the inquiry.
The report found that the London fire service implemented 26 of the 29 recommendations aimed specifically at them. This includes things like the use of smoke hoods to help rescue people in smoky environments and the introduction of 32 and 64 meter ladders to fight fires from great heights.
But Sadiq Khan said he was “extremely concerned” that none of the recommendations specifically aimed at the government had been adopted.
He said: “It is essential that the government and the housing and construction sectors act now and not wait for the next report of the inquiry to act on such an important issue.
“Without faster action, the government is failing the community of Grenfell, putting lives at risk and leaving residents feeling unsafe in their homes. The government, housing and construction sectors must not wait to implement the comprehensive reforms needed to fix a broken system.
Of the 12 recommendations made to the government, 11 call for a change in the law to impose more requirements on building owners and managers.
The Department of Leveling, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said this process was underway with the introduction of the Building Safety Bill and called Mr Khan’s claims “unsubstantiated”.
A DLUHC spokesperson said: ‘The Government is making progress in implementing the recommendations from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
“We are introducing the biggest building safety improvements in a generation – with tougher regulations that will give residents more rights and protections and make homes safer.
“Our new Building Safety Regulator will enforce a stricter regulatory regime for high-rise residential buildings and oversee the safety and performance of all buildings.”
Phase 2 of the Grenfell Inquiry is currently underway and is looking at the wider issues surrounding the fire. The London Fire Brigade and the Mayor of London are involved in this phase, which is expected to last 18 months.
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-22 16:43:44
