UK Government responds to Grenfell Tower inquiry

Under the proposals, industry will "be held to account for failure", with new regulatory measures to prevent further tragedies.

Reforms set out include:

• A new single construction regulator to ensure those responsible for building safety are held to account.   

• Tougher oversight of those responsible for testing and certifying, manufacturing and using construction products with serious consequences for those who break the rules. 

• A legal duty of candour through a new Hillsborough Law, compelling public authorities to disclose the truth, ensuring transparency in major incidents, and holding those responsible for failures to account.  

• Stronger, clearer, and enforceable legal rights for residents, making landlords responsible for acting on safety concerns. 

• Empowering social housing residents to challenge landlords and demand safe, high-quality housing, by expanding the Four Million Homes training programme. Make it easier for tenants to report safety concerns and secure landlord action by taking forward the Make Things Right campaign. 

• Ensuring lasting transparency and accountability by creating a publicly accessible record of all public inquiry recommendations. 

As well as changes in regulation, in December 2024, the government launched its Remediation Acceleration Plan which sets out tough new measures to get buildings fixed quicker and ensure rogue freeholders are held to account.   

It has also published a Construction Products Reform Green Paper.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: "The Grenfell Tower tragedy claimed 72 innocent lives in a disaster that should never have happened. The final report exposed in stark and devastating detail the shocking industry behaviour and wider failures that led to the fire, and the deep injustices endured by the bereaved, survivors and residents. 

"We are acting on all of the Inquiry’s findings, and today set out our full response, detailing the tough action we are taking to drive change and reform the system to ensure no community will ever have to face a tragedy like Grenfell ever again.   

"That means greater accountability, stronger regulation, and putting residents at the heart of decision-making. We must deliver the fundamental change required. We owe that to the Grenfell community, to the country and to the memory of those who lost their lives."

New powers under the Procurement Act will be used to investigate seven of the organisations criticised in the report. If certain grounds are met, their names will be added to a published debarment list which must be taken into account by contracting authorities when awarding new contracts.  

Other measures include:

• Raising standards by consulting on a new College of Fire and Rescue later in 2025 to improve training and professionalism of firefighters. 

• Stopping unqualified individuals from making critical fire safety decisions, by legally requiring fire risk assessors to have their competence certified. 

• Continuing implementation of new Residential PEEPs policy to improve the fire safety and evacuation of disabled and vulnerable residents in high-rise and higher-risk residential buildings, engaging with relevant stakeholders on the implementation.

Read the full response