Lords pass vital amendment to implement Grenfell Inquiry recommendations despite Tory votes to block it

Tabled by Lord Kennedy of Southwark, Labour’s amendment to the Fire Safety Bill would force the Government to honour the commitment they made to act on recommendations from Phase One of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, published in October 2019.

The amendment will place robust requirements on building owners or managers to share information with local Fire and Rescue Services about the design, and the materials of the external walls, to undertake regular inspections of individual flat entrance doors and lifts, and share evacuation and fire safety instructions with residents of the building. When this amendment was first put to the Commons, the Tories chose to reject it.

The amendment passed in the House of Lords by 269 votes to 250, with Members from across the Lords voting for the measures. The Bill will now return to the Commons for consideration of the amendment passed.

Sarah Jones MP, Shadow Minister for Policing and Fire, who first tabled the amendment in the Commons, said:

“Labour welcomes, and thanks the Lords for voting for action today in implementing such vital recommendations. We pay tribute to all those who have campaigned so hard for justice after the horrific Grenfell Tower fire. The choice for the Government is now a simple one - support fire safety measures that it agreed to implement over a year ago, or continue to break a solemn promise to take action following the Grenfell Inquiry.”

“Labour will continue to press the Government to do the right thing, deliver on their promises and get the cladding ripped off urgently. The Government must act now to prevent such tragedy from happening again."

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. The recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Phase One Report can be found here: https://assets.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/GTI%20-%20Phase%201%20full%20report%20-%20volume%204.pdf Pages 771-780, Chapter 33.
2. The 2019 Conservative Manifesto promised “implementing and legislating for all the recommendations of the Hackitt Review and the first phase of the independent inquiry.”
3. The Government pledged at the introduction of the Fire Safety Bill would take them ‘a step further’ in delivering the inquiry’s recommendations.
4. The findings from the Government’s data collection exercise on external wall systems in high rise buildings have still not been published. As a result, the Government still unable to even confirm how many buildings are covered with dangerous non-ACM cladding.
5. This amendment was originally tabled during its passage through the House of Commons but was voted upon, and defeated by the Government 318 (Noes) to 188 (Ayes) on the 7 September 2020.