Grenfell Tower inquiry to focus on council response and technical issues

Former appeal court judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick has said he will focus his inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire disaster on the Royal Boroigh of Kensington & Chelsea’s response and on technical issues of design, construction and renovation.

He said he recognised the strength of local feeling during consultation on his terms of reference that he should also inquire into the management and financing of social housing, but said these subjects were “not suitable for a judge-led inquiry”.

Instead he wanted to examine factors in Grenfell’s materials and the management of its renovation that might carry lessons for other tower blocks around the county.

Sir Martin said though that he would investigate Kensington & Chelsea’s response to the fire, and how it handled - and whether it acted upon - earlier warnings from residents about fire safety in Grenfell Tower.

In a letter to prime minister Theresa May he said that responses to the public consultation on his terms of reference “have persuaded me that they should include the response of local and central government in the days immediately following the fire”.

He suggested that a separate body could sit in parallel to his inquiry to examine social housing policy.

Ms May said in her reply: “Government will now consider how best to address the issues of social housing you have raised.

“What is clear is there are a number of concerns, which have gone unheard for too long.”

Kensington & Chelsea leader Elizabeth Campbell who took office after fire, said: “We are fully cooperating with the inquiry and we will make any person or document available to the authorities, as required.

“I echo the wishes of the local community – we must find out what went wrong and make sure it never happens again, not only in this borough, but anywhere in the UK.”

Mark Smulian