Government to bring in single construction regulator, new legal duty of candour for public bodies after accepting Grenfell inquiry report recommendations in full

The Government has accepted all 58 recommendations in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report, and will introduce a new single construction regulator “to ensure those responsible for building safety are held to account”.

Also among the reforms is 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”. 

Delivering its response to the Inquiry’s final report, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) promised as well:

• tougher oversight of those responsible for testing and certifying, manufacturing and using construction products “with serious consequences for those who break the rules”;
• 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;
• making it easier for tenants to report safety concerns and secure landlord action by taking forward the Make Things Right campaign;
• creation of a publicly accessible record of all public inquiry recommendations. 

The MHCLG meanwhile announced that debarment investigations are to be launched for seven organisations named in the report, using new powers under the Procurement Act 2023.

“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,” the Ministry said.

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.”

The final report into the Grenfell Tower fire condemned failures by the government, building companies, contractors, fire safety experts and council staff that led to the fire in west London on 14 June 2017.

The report concluded that the fire was “the culmination of decades of failure by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility in the construction industry to look carefully into the danger of incorporating combustible materials into the external walls of high-rise residential buildings and to act on the information available to them.”

The Government subsequently apologised on behalf of the British state for its part in the failings identified.   

Progress towards implementing the inquiry’s 58 recommendations is to be published every quarter from mid-2025. The Government will also provide an annual update to Parliament.

The Ministry said a phased approach will be adopted to delivery, with a first phase (2025 to 2026) focused on making sure that the Government effectively delivers its current programme of regulatory reform and change.

A second phase (2026 to 2028) will focus on having fully developed proposals to deliver recommendations and wider reform, including via legislation.

From 2028 onwards, the Government will focus on implementing these reforms.

Commenting on the Government’s response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the Local Government Association, said: “The Grenfell Tower fire was a tragedy which must never be repeated, and our thoughts remain with those who lost their lives and those affected by the devastating events of June 2017.

“We have long-called for an overhaul of building safety regulations to ensure no-one has to live in fear about their safety, whether that is in the buildings they live in, work in or visit."

She added: “We are pleased the Government has today accepted the inquiry’s recommendations.

“As we now act on these, it is crucial that councils and the fire and rescue services are closely involved, given the leading role they play in fixing buildings and ensuring residents are safe at all times.”

Douglas Rhodes, Partner at law firm Trowers & Hamlins said: "One of the most notable accepted recommendations is that the Government has said an urgent review of the definition of higher-risk building will be undertaken and plans as to whether the list of buildings subject to the regime should be amended in any way will be set out in summer 2025.

“Given the difficulties already encountered by the Building Safety Regulator in implementing the regime as originally envisaged, the possibility of reforming the system so quickly after its inception will cause concern across the property industry that further delays and operational difficulties will be encountered.  It is to be hoped that the Government will focus its energies on ensuring that the new regulatory system operates properly – and that the Building Safety Regulator is properly resourced – before further reforms are implemented."