Ministers launch independent review of the UK’s building regulations after Grenfell fire
Sajid Javid said Dame Judith Hackitt would lead a review of rules and fire safety laws
COMMUNITIES Secretary Sajid Javid today launched an independent review of the UK’s building regulations – to ensure there’s no repeat of the horrific Grenfell Tower Fire.
The under-pressure Tory said Dame Judith Hackitt would lead a review of rules and fire safety laws – with a particular focus on high rises.
It came as it emerged cladding and insulation used in at least 60 tower blocks was deemed to have failed a new fire safety test.
In a statement Mr Javid said: “It’s clear we need to urgently look at building regulations and fire safety.
“This independent review will ensure we can swiftly make any necessary improvements.
“Government is determined to make sure we learn the lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire, and to ensure nothing like it can happen again.”
The announcement comes a day after police said they had found “reasonable grounds” to consider corporate manslaughter charges over the Grenfell inferno.
In a letter to survivors, officers said Kensington and Chelsea council and the tenant management association that ran the tower “may have committed the offence”.
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A section of the letter says Met Police officers have “seized a huge amount of material and taken a large number of witness statements”.
Campaigners cautiously welcomed the news but called for the Metropolitan Police to also consider charges against individuals.
Earlier this week The Sun revealed how at least ten councils have been forced to beg Sajid Javid for help to fund vital fire safety improvements following the fire.
The communities secretary had said he was unaware of councils who had formally asked the department for money, but later a spokesperson confirmed he had now been told of their requests.
The tower itself is set to be torn down by the end of 2018 - and it will be wrapped in a protective layer from mid-August to help protect it as forensic investigations continue.
Meanwhile, the man heading up the Grenfell fire inquiry, Sir Martin Moore Bick, has been slammed by residents of the block because his team is nearly all white.
