Grenfell: Firms involved to be barred from public contracts, Starmer vows

Companies involved in the failings that led to the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy will no longer be awarded government contracts, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Prime Minister apologised for the disaster – which saw 72 people die in the tower block blaze in June 2017 – in a grave statement to the House of Commons on Wednesday.

It came after the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry found the incident was the result of “decades of failure” by the government to address risks posed by flammable materials on high-rise buildings, and “systemic dishonesty” of the construction firms which sold materials.

“This government will write to all companies found by the inquiry to have been part of these horrific failings as the first step to stopping them being awarded government contracts,” Starmer pledged.

The cladding firm Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex faced heavy criticism in inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s report. 

Their actions were described as “very significant” as to why the building came to be clad in combustible materials.

Victims’ organisation Grenfell United has called on the government to ban Arconic, Kingspan, Celotex and contractor Rydon from central or local government procurement.

The report stated: “We consider that the principal contractor, Rydon, also bears considerable responsibility for the fire.

“It gave inadequate thought to fire safety, to which it displayed a casual attitude throughout the project and its systems for managing the design work did not ensure that its sub-contractors and consultants properly understood their different responsibilities.”

And Moore-Bick wrote: “One very significant reason why Grenfell Tower came to be clad in combustible materials was systematic dishonesty on the part of those who made and sold the rainscreen cladding panels and insulation products.”

A spokesperson for Arconic, which manufactured the rainscreen via subsidiary AAP, said: “The fire was a terrible tragedy and as Arconic remembers the 72 people who died, our thoughts remain with the families, friends and all of those affected.”

They added that the firm “respects the inquiry process”, had cooperated fully and would continue to engage, as well as contributing financially to settlements and restorative justice.

Arconic also said the aluminium composite material sheets sold “were safe to use as a building material, and legal to sell in the UK as well as the more than 30 other countries”.

“We reject any claim that AAP sold an unsafe product… AAP did not conceal information from or mislead any certification body, customer, or the public.”

A Kingspan spokesperson said: “Today is another extremely difficult day for the relatives and survivors of the fire and we extend our deepest sympathies to those impacted by the tragedy.”

They also stated: “The type of insulation was immaterial, and that the principal reason for the fire spread was the PE ACM cladding, which was not made by Kingspan.”

The firm said it was aware of “deeply regrettable… wholly unacceptable historical failings” in the UK insulation arm but said “they were not found to be causative of the tragedy”.

A Celotex Ltd spokesperson said it had “conducted our own review” into how the RS5000 product had been tested, launched and marketed, and results were disclosed to the inquiry.

They said: “Independent testing commissioned following the review demonstrated that the cladding system described in the Celotex RS5000 marketing literature met the relevant safety criteria. That system was substantially different to that used at Grenfell Tower.  

“Decisions about design, construction and the selection of materials for the Tower were made by construction industry professionals.

“Celotex Limited continues to cooperate fully with all official investigations into the Grenfell Tower fire. We reiterate our sympathies to everyone affected by the fire.”

Starmer said while supporting the Met Police and prosecutors considering criminal charges, it is “vital… we do not do or say anything that could compromise any future prosecution”.

He promised the Labour government was “now addressing the recommendations” from inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s first report, including to “introduce a new residential personal emergency evacuation plan policy” and to fund this for those in social housing.

“We will look at all 58 of Sir Martin’s recommendations in detail,” he pledged, adding that there would be a Commons debate on the report, and the government would respond in full to the inquiry’s recommendations within six months, and provide annual progress updates.

Reforms to building safety since the blaze have included banning combustible cladding; new building control oversight; fresh safety regimes for residential buildings over 18 metres; new legal requirements on social landlords; and training fire services for large scale incidents. 

But the Prime Minister also admitted “there are still buildings today with unsafe cladding” which are being addressed at “far, far too slow” a speed.

He vowed to speed up the process, including forcing freeholders to enter set remediation timetables and forced action and reforming the construction products industry.

As Labour plans to build some 1.5m new homes across the United Kingdom, “we will ensure these homes are safe, secure, and built to the highest standards”, he added.

Starmer also outlined a “private visit” he made two weeks ago to Grenfell Tower, where he “laid a wreath at the memorial wall” and pledged to deliver a permanent memorial on the site.

“It left me with a profound and very personal determination to make the legacy of Grenfell Tower one of the defining changes to our country that I want to make as Prime Minister,” he said.

Rydon has been approached for comment by City A.M.