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Fire services to publish tests on Grenfell cladding within 48 hours
The fire service will publish the results of testing on the cladding used on Grenfell Tower within 48 hours, the prime minister has revealed.
Theresa May was unable to confirm whether or not the cladding was compliant with building regulations in a debate in parliament this morning.
It follows chancellor Philip Hammond claiming it had breached regulations, a claim that was denied by the companies involved.
Coming under pressure to confirm whether or not the panels were compliant, Ms May said: “My understanding is fire services and the Building Research Establishment were on the scene very early to look at these issues.
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“They are testing the cladding on the building and I expect them to make those findings public in the next 48 hours.”
Ms May said this information “formed part of the criminal inquiry”.
She was also put under pressure to confirm whether the government would cover the costs to local authorities of any upgrade work.
She was unable to make a specific pledge but said: “We are working with local authorities to identify their needs and working with them to ensure they respond in a way that is necessary. There will be different circumstances in different local authorities; we will ensure that work can be undertaken.”
On a long-awaited update to building regulations, Ms May appeared to suggest the document – drafted in 2006 – would not be updated until the end of the public inquiry.
“My understanding is that fire regulations have not been updated since 2006; obviously the public inquiry will want to look at this as one of issues they consider,” she said.
However, she added that work on updating guidance that goes alongside regulations is “in hand”, with a consultation set to be published “imminently”.
The prime minister also declined to accept calls for sprinklers to be retrofitted in high-rise buildings with government funding.
She said: “The situation is not as easy as it would appear. In not all of these cases retrofitting sprinklers may be the thing that makes the difference. There are a whole number of reasons why that might be the case.
“It is an issue that has been looked at and continues to be looked at.”
Following the Lakanal House blaze in 2009, the coroner recommended all councils be encouraged to fit sprinklers in old high-rise buildings.
Experts have suggested they could have saved lives both in that fire and at Grenfell Tower, with several councils immediately embarking on a retrofitting programme following the tragedy.
Responding to Ms May’s statement, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “Every single one of those deaths could and should have been avoided.
“What we need is a step change in our attitude towards housing in this country, to deal with the permanent housing crisis that so many of our constituents and residents face.”
