The government is investigating into seven organisations over failures that led to the Grenfell Tower disaster.
Fingers are being pointed at management companies, who may be blacklisted from bidding on public contracts.
Meanwhile two bodies are being merged into a building safety regulator.
Angela Rayner, housing secretary, said the investigation found “serial incompetence and negligence, complacency and inaction, and blatant dishonesty and greed”
A previous inquiry into Grenfell published last year blamed the fire on failure by governments, dishonest companies, and a lack of strategy from the fire service.
The disaster happened in 2017 and resulted in the deaths of 72 people.
The firms being investigated are:
- Arconic, which sold the panels used in the external wall of Grenfell Tower
- Saint-Gobain, which owned Celotex, which made most of the insulation used on the building behind the panels
- Kingspan Insulation, which developed the insulation used on 5% of the building behind the Arconic panels
- Harley Facades, a contractor that installed the dangerous cladding
- Rydon Maintenance, the lead contractor of the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower
- Studio E Architects, al practice which designed the refurbishment of the tower, and went bankrupt in 2020
- Exova (UK), which carried out fire risk safety assessments
Meanwhile others organisations named and shamed were:
- The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which owns Grenfell Tower as council housing stock
- Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), which managed the properties on behalf of the council
- Building Research Establishment, a private company that carries out tests and issues certificates on cladding products. It used to be a government laboratory but was privatised in 1997
- British Board of Agrément (BBA), which issues cerfificates on cladding and insulation
- Local Authority Building Control (LABC), a certification body responsible for approving some of the building materials used at Grenfell
Response
Trade body
Gary Strong, head of professional practice – building, at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, said: “RICS welcomes the UK Government’s statement on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report, and we look forward to continuing to support these crucial reforms going forward.
“A new, dedicated construction sector regulator and chief construction adviser is welcome, and RICS will continue to offer its expertise to the government to support plans for the new regulator as it takes shape.
“New rules on product safety should further raise manufacturing standards, whilst new laws empowering tenants in the social housing sector will help protect some of the most vulnerable. It is reassuring that the government plans to provide updates every quarter and RICS will support the implementation of these reforms every step of the way.”
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Today’s announcement is an important step towards the reform needed to correct the catastrophic failures exposed by the Grenfell Tower tragedy. We owe it to the 72 people whose lives were needlessly lost in the Grenfell Tower fire to ensure that nothing like it ever happens again.
“Everyone deserves the right to live in a safe home. It is shameful that more than seven years on from the Grenfell Tower fire, thousands of people across London and the country are still living in fear due to dangerous cladding on their homes.
“Ministers must now act swiftly to implement their plans for tougher building regulations, including giving a new Construction Regulator real powers to raise standards and ensure homes are safe and secure.
“I welcome more being done to hold building owners and developers to account for the safety of their buildings, and will continue to work with the Government to speed up the pace at which buildings with dangerous cladding are made safe.
“At the same time those companies implicated in the Grenfell report should be barred from future contracts. This must now finally happen without further delay.
“As Mayor, I will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Grenfell community in their tireless fight for justice and change.”
Law firm
Michael O’Connor, partner of Charles Russell Speechlys, an international law firm, said: “The government is making crucial steps towards ensuring that a disaster such as the Grenfell fire never happens again, emphasising the need for a systemic overhaul.
“Given the extent of the regulatory change, it’s necessary to introduce these measures over a period of years, allowing the industry time to adopt new practices.
“However, this means that the industry could still be in a state of flux for years to come, with delays to the approval of remedial schemes and new higher risk buildings.
“A tension between the introduction of new regulation and the government’s plan to deliver 1.5million homes by the next election is likely.
“Whilst investigations of the seven firms seemed inevitable following the conclusion of the Grenfell 2 Report, should firms be banned, it could lead to a reduction in competition within markets that are already constrained and lead to even less competition within those markets.
“The government’s intention to reform highlights a commitment to change, but the practicalities of implementation, market dynamics, and regulatory efficiency, present significant challenges that the government must also address to ensure their overall ambitions for the sector”.
Construction firm
Paul Woodhams, managing director for building safety and refurbishment at McLaren Construction, said: “The Government’s response to the Grenfell Inquiry final report could have gone further to ensure that competencies, materials and contractors are fit for purpose to deliver and refurbish buildings to the highest safety standards through the creation of a single construction regulator.
“One of the biggest challenges we face from a cladding remediation perspective is appropriate licencing of construction products and contractors.
“A single regulator for the entire construction industry could have driven out ambiguity to set a universal standard for acceptable quality of products and competent contractors to deliver the work.
“However, the government’s commitment to reform of the regulatory regime covering construction products is one step in the right direction to ensure that all companies in the supply chain work to the same rigorous standards as main contractors.”
Fire door company
Nicola John, managing director of Fire Door Maintenance, part of UAP Ltd said: “The government’s response is a step in the right direction—but it doesn’t go far enough. Tougher rules are welcome, but real safety isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about making sure the right people are in place and have the skills and knowledge they need.
“Fire safety legislation demands greater detail. We’re a long way from where we need to be, and the industry doesn’t yet have a clear career path for specifiers, inspectors, maintainers and installers throughout the fire door chain to guarantee that those responsible for critical safety measures have the skills and authority to do their job properly. That’s what we’re mapping out at FDM, offering specialist training and clear accreditation routes.
“While there’s a focus on fixing construction products, the real issue runs deeper—this is about behaviour, accountability, and a culture that has, for too long, put cost-cutting ahead of safety. The Building Safety Act’s move to demonstrate competence has started the process, but it’s not enough. We need a sharper spotlight on those who sign off on unsafe buildings and those who knowingly cut corners.
“There’s been a lot of talk about cultural change and empowering social housing, but talk doesn’t save lives. Industry-wide action does. The government must go further, act faster, and ensure these reforms lead to real, lasting change. We need legislation that forces the industry to act, not sweeping reforms that lack detail.”
Property manager
Andrew Bulmer, chief executive of The Property Institute (TPI), said: “The Grenfell Tower fire was a preventable tragedy – one that exposed systemic failures and regulatory loopholes with devastating consequences.
“We fully support the government’s decision to take forward all the recommendations made by the Phase 2 report and welcome its commitment to publish quarterly progress reports as it implements those recommendations.
“Today’s response makes it clear that building safety reforms must go further and faster. While the introduction of one single Construction Regulator is a step in the right direction, the slow pace of remediation and the narrow focus on cladding have left many buildings only partially fixed. Thousands still live in unsafe buildings, burdened by unaffordable insurance premiums, the costs of other safety issues, and uncertainty about their futures.
“We urge the government to implement actions swiftly – accelerating and widening the scope of remediation efforts and putting resident safety ahead of bureaucratic and financial disputes.”
University
Professor Anna Stec, professor in fire chemistry and toxicity at the University of Central Lancashire, said: “Our latest research finds that firefighters who worked inside the Grenfell Tower fire report significantly higher rates of gastrointestinal, respiratory, neurological, and other diseases compared to those who worked outside the building.
“We know that firefighters are exposed to toxic contaminants in fire throughout their careers, and that preventative measures are needed to protect their health. Although it is not possible to definitively trace any disease back to a single incident, it is alarming that a high proportion of the firefighters who were exposed to very high smoke levels that night are now falling ill.
“Given that firefighting is classified as a carcinogenic occupation by the World Health Organisation and is associated with higher mortalities from rare cancers, introducing regular health monitoring for UK firefighters is essential.”
