Summary

  • Angela Rayner - deputy PM and housing secretary - says work to fix unsafe buildings must be speeded up, after a damning report into the Grenfell fire

  • Rayner says she was "absolutely astonished" to learn how many buildings still have unsafe cladding

  • Of 4,630 identified buildings in England, only 29% have been fixed, and work hasn't started on half the buildings, she says

  • Grenfell United - a group that represents some victims of the 2017 fire that killed 72 - people - says "justice has not been delivered"

  • Speaking after the inquiry report on Wednesday, the victims' group calls for "those who are truly responsible are held to account and brought to justice"

  • Final decisions on potential criminal charges won't be made until 2026, the CPS says

  • Warning: This page contains distressing details

  1. 'Difficult' to say if families 100% safe in their homes - Raynerpublished at 07:50 British Summer Time 5 September

    It's "difficult" to say if families are 100% safe in their homes following the Grenfell report, Rayner says.

    She says "all buildings in the UK could have a failing of some sort" but that "every bit of work is being done" to make homes as safe as possible.

    She says the recent fire in Dagenham, east London - in which everyone made it out of the building safely - was an example of the importance of the remediation work that the government is set to accelerate.

    Media caption,

    Rayner pledges to make buildings 'as safe as they possibly can be'

  2. How long must families stay living in unsafe buildings for?published at 07:47 British Summer Time 5 September

    Rayner is pushed again on remediation work - this time how the government plans to pay for it. She says there is £5bn currently available.

    The government is also looking at how it can hold building owners to account, the housing secretary adds.

    The deputy PM is asked for how much longer families living in buildings with dangerous cladding have to stay in them, but refuses to be drawn.

    She says the government has identified 4,630 buildings of this type, and only 29% have had the remediation completed.

    It is "incredibly difficult to be stuck" in those buildings, she says, and the process must be speeded up.

  3. Rayner 'astonished' at number of buildings waiting to start remediationpublished at 07:40 British Summer Time 5 September

    Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner says she is "astonished" at how many buildings with unsafe cladding are waiting to start remediation work.

    She tells of plans to accelerate remediation work in public and private buildings, and to hold those responsible to account.

    Of 4,630 buildings identified with dangerous cladding, 50% are in remediation works, she adds.

    (The 4,630 figure refers to buildings 11 metres and over in England identified with unsafe cladding, external, as of 31 July this year).

    Media caption,

    Rayner promises Grenfell recommendations will be 'gone through at pace'

  4. Rayner to face questions over damning Grenfell reportpublished at 07:28 British Summer Time 5 September

    Housing Secretary Angela Rayner is due on BBC Breakfast shortly to answer questions on the government's plans to address the recommendations in the Grenfell inquiry's final report.

    We'll bring you the key lines from the deputy PM here. Follow along by hitting Watch live at the top of the page.

  5. What might change and will anyone be prosecuted?published at 07:24 British Summer Time 5 September

    The Grenfell report will be a "moment of change", the prime minister has promised - but what will that change be?

    A total of 58 recommendations have been made by the inquiry, including for the construction industry, to the government, and firefighters.

    The recommendations are not legally binding, and it is up to the relevant organisations to decide whether to implement them - although all have promised to consider them in full.

    Keir Starmer has also made several commitments.

    Here's a look at what happens next:

    • The government will take steps to speed up the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings, the PM said
    • Starmer also said companies found in the report to be part of the failings will be blocked from government contracts
    • The government will reform the construction products industry, he added
    • He also promised to ensure social landlords are held to account
    • But he said no decision has been made on the tower's future and whether it will be demolished
    • The Met Police said it needs another 12 to 18 months to complete its investigations
    • The Crown Prosecution Service said its final decision on potential criminal charges will not come until the end of 2026

  6. How the Grenfell Tower fire spreadpublished at 07:21 British Summer Time 5 September

    Just before 01:00 on 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in the kitchen of a fourth floor flat in the Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, West London.

    Within minutes, it had spread to cladding that had been added to the 23-storey building’s exterior in a recent renovation.

    By 03:00, it had spread to all four sides of the block. Most of the upper floors were well alight.

    In total, the fire killed 72 people and destroyed 151 homes in the tower and surrounding areas.

    A graphic showing the stages of how fast the fire spread between 01:14 and 04:44 on 14 June 2017
  7. The layout of Grenfell Towerpublished at 07:13 British Summer Time 5 September

    The Grenfell Tower had 23 floors, a ground floor and basement, as illustrated in the graphic below.

    The fire that spread across the high-rise building in North Kensington on 14 June 2017 killed 72 people, and destroyed 151 homes - both in the tower and surrounding areas.

    It started in a Hotpoint fridge freezer on the fourth floor, according to expert testimony given to the inquiry.

    A graphic illustrating the layout of Grenfell Tower, the 23 floors, a ground floor and basement
  8. What was in the report?published at 06:56 British Summer Time 5 September

    Kimia Zabihyan (R) from Grenfell Next of Kin group places the Grenfell Inquiry report on a scaleImage source, EPA

    The Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people in 2017 was the result of a chain of failures by governments, "dishonest" companies and a lack of strategy by the fire service, the final report of the six-year public inquiry concluded.

    The damning report set out a "path to disaster" at Grenfell stretching back to the early 1990s over how fire safety has been regulated and managed in high rise buildings.

    The report said:

    • Successive governments "ignored, delayed or disregarded" concerns about the safety of industry practices
    • Manufacturers of cladding and insulation products "deliberately concealed" the fire risks they posed
    • The way building safety is managed in England and Wales is "seriously defective" and "complex and fragmented"

    The publication of the final 1,700-page report came more than seven years after the fire took hold and spread through cladding on the west London tower block.

  9. Grenfell victims say they're still waiting for justicepublished at 06:54 British Summer Time 5 September

    Emily Atkinson
    Live page editor

    People holding 'justice for Grenfell' banners marchImage source, Getty Images

    Yesterday, we covered the publication of the Grenfell inquiry's damning final report.

    After seven years, survivors and bereaved families hoped to learn from it the truth about what happened on the night of the deadly blaze on 14 June 2017 - but now say their wait for justice continues.

    "We have an expectation that the Met Police and the CPS ensure that those who are truly responsible are held to account and brought to justice," Grenfell United, which represents some of the victims' families, says.

    This morning, we will continue to follow the latest updates and reaction to the report.

    Housing Secretary Angela Rayner is due on both BBC Breakfast and BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, to answer questions about how the government intends to respond to the report's recommendations.

    We'll bring you the key lines from both interviews, along with all the latest reaction and updates.

    Stay with us.

  10. All 72 Grenfell fire deaths 'were avoidable'published at 18:49 British Summer Time 4 September

    We are now pausing our live coverage following the damning Grenfell inquiry report. We'll leave you with a few key lines from the 1,700-page report:

    • All 72 deaths in the Grenfell fire were "avoidable" and people living there were "badly failed" by those responsible for their safety and that of the tower
    • Chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said those involved don't all bear the same level of responsibility and called out their failings attributing them in most cases to "incompetence" and others to "dishonesty and greed"
    • Manufacturers of the cladding engaged in "systematic dishonesty", chairman said, also accusing them of misleading customers about their safety
    • The fire was preceded by "decades of failure" by the government" and the building industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings
    • There was a "chronic lack" of leadership at the London Fire Brigade, including too much emphasis on process and an "attitude of complacency"

    This page was brought to you by Emily Atkinson, Sean Seddon and Marita Moloney, Ben Hatton, Andre Rhoden-Paul, Cachella Smith, Ian Aikman and Barbara Tasch and Nathan Williams.

  11. Families blame 'greed of an industry' - key quotes from the daypublished at 18:44 British Summer Time 4 September

    We'll shortly be ending out live coverage. Before we go, here are some key quotes from politicians, community groups and representatives of survivors.

    • The Grenfell United group, representing some victims of the fire, blames the "greed of an industry" and a "fundamental failure of the most basic duties of care"
    • While bereaved families have spoken out after the inquiry, saying they "can't move on without justice"
    • Sir Keir Starmer says that Grenfell "should never have happened" and promises the " full power of the government [will] bear on this task"
    • Sir Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat leader, says that "criminality must be investigated, tried and punished" as the families have already had to "wait too long"
    • London Fire Brigade commissioner Andy Roe said that the fire service was "not complacent" and would continue to act on the inquiry's findings
    • The Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed it is not likely to decide whether to charge anyone over Grenfell until the end of 2026
    • And the Kensington and Chelsea Borough council, where Grenfell is located, say they "could have, and should have, done more"

  12. The Today Podcast: 'I've never shared what I saw'published at 18:23 British Summer Time 4 September

    Emma Dent Coad speaking to pressImage source, Getty Images

    "I’ve never shared what I saw with anybody. It’s too much."

    Those are the words of Emma Dent Coad, who was the MP for Kensington at the time the Grenfell Tower fire took place.

    She's spoken to Nick Robinson on the BBC's The Today Podcast about the witnessing the fire in her constituency just days into her term as MP.

    She describes how she cried "tears of anger" this morning reading the final report from the inquiry, and gives her analysis as to how soon the victims of the fire might start to see justice.

    You can listen to the episode now on BBC Sounds.

  13. 'Finally the truth is out,' says survivorpublished at 18:15 British Summer Time 4 September

    Antonio RoncolatoImage source, Getty Images

    "Finally the truth is out." That's the reaction from Grenfell Tower survivor Antonio Roncolato who was one of the last survivors to escape the fire.

    He tells BBC Radio 4's PM programme, the inquiry's report was the "end of one chapter and the beginning of another two chapters [change and justice]".

    "Now this government has a golden chance to put all this [recommendations] into place, and have a strategy, a timeframe and move on," he says.

    "And on the other side, the police have further proof so they can move on with their investigation."

    He adds he knows he is a "lucky, fortunate one" and feels guilt as "many people didn't make it out" like the children he knew in the building.

    "Why did you have to take the life of these children, I have lived long already."

  14. Significant cuts to fire service before Grenfell – former firefighterpublished at 18:08 British Summer Time 4 September

    Lucy Masoud wearing a t-shirt with design that looks like the Transport for London logo but shaped like a heart with Grenfell written on it

    Lucy Masoud, a barrister and former London firefighter, tells the BBC News channel that the London Fire Brigade had been negatively impacted by budget cuts when the fire took place.

    Asked about criticisms of the fire service made in the review, she says "to an extent" the criticism is fair, but says: "When this fire took place the London Fire Brigade was on its knees."

    There were "significant cuts" in the three years leading up to the fire, she says, there were 1,000 firefighters job losses and 29 fire engines removed from frontline services.

    In Kensington and Chelsea – the London borough where Grenfell Tower is located – she says there was a 50% reduction in fire cover.

    But she also says it remains the case that the fire service should have been better prepared and "there are failures" which the fire brigade needs to reflect on.

  15. 'Losing my brother destroyed me' - Grenfell survivorpublished at 17:53 British Summer Time 4 September

    Media caption,

    Watch: 'I looked behind me and I couldn't see my brother'

    Omar Alhaj Ali lost his younger brother Mohammad in the Grenfell Tower fire. He was 23 and a civil engineering student.

    The brothers came to the UK in 2014 after fleeing the war in Syria and moved to a flat on the 14th floor of the building two years later.

    Omar spoke to the BBC's UK correspondent Adina Campbell about his memories of the night.

  16. Grenfell report deep dive: Recommendationspublished at 17:38 British Summer Time 4 September

    Judith Burns
    Home affairs reporter

    Buildings safety management in England and Wales is “seriously defective” and “complex and fragmented”, says the report. Its recommendations include:

    • Buildings regulation to be under a single independent body, headed by a construction regulator, with one secretary of state responsible for the issue in government
    • Fire safety guidance to the construction industry to be rewritten, with a fire safety strategy submitted with any application to construct or refurbish any higher risk building
    • Better and more transparent fire safety testing of materials and designs
    • Having found major problems with the fire service, the inquiry backs the setting up of a College of Fire and Rescue to improve training

    There are also a series of specific recommendations to improve London Fire Brigade’s management of major incidents and a demand for it to be formally inspected.

    Close up of Whitehall street signImage source, PA Media
  17. Grenfell report deep dive: 'Inadequate' responsepublished at 17:35 British Summer Time 4 September

    Judith Burns
    Home affairs reporter

    A woman stands at a wall with messages of condolence for Grenfell victimsImage source, Getty Images

    Those who escaped from the fire had to watch their homes burn and had little left but the clothes they were wearing - but neither the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, nor central government were prepared for a major disaster, says the report.

    The council’s systems “were wholly inadequate to the task of handling an incident of such magnitude and gravity, involving as it did mass homelessness and mass fatalities”, the report adds.

    It accuses the council of “a marked lack of respect for human decency and dignity”, particularly failing to cater for Muslim residents who were observing Ramadan at the time of the disaster.

    The report acknowledges that staff at the Tenant Management Organisation “threw themselves into the response and helped provide support”.

    But it adds that the greatest immediate support came from community groups and voluntary organisations.

  18. Grenfell report deep dive: London Fire Brigadepublished at 17:31 British Summer Time 4 September

    Judith Burns
    Home affairs reporter

    Fire engine with lights onImage source, Getty Images

    A fatal fire at Lakanal House in south London in 2009 should have alerted London Fire Brigade to “shortcomings” in its ability to fight fires in high rise buildings, says the report.

    It blames “a chronic lack of effective management and leadership” for LFB’s failure to make good these shortcomings.

    “After the Lakanal House Fire, senior officers recognised that compliance with the building regulations could not be guaranteed but no-one appears to have thought that firefighters needed to be trained to recognise and deal with the consequences.”

    The report also says that LFB as an organisation was well aware of the dangers posed by some modern construction materials and methods but failed to update firefighter training.

    It meant that residents at Grenfell Tower were advised to stay put when they should have been evacuated.

  19. Grenfell report deep dive: 'Incompetent' refurbishmentpublished at 17:28 British Summer Time 4 September

    Judith Burns
    Home affairs reporter

    A security officer in hi-vis stands at the entrance to Dorland House, a sign in the background reads 'Grenfell Tower Inquiry'Image source, Getty Images

    The inquiry report is scathing about the Tenant Management Organisation, which oversaw the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower for the local council. It frequently describes companies involved - Studio E, Rydon and Harley Facades - as incompetent.

    Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council and its Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), which managed property on its behalf, were found to have “persistent indifference to fire safety, particularly the safety of vulnerable people”.

    Relations between the TMO and residents was one of “distrust, dislike, personal antagonism and anger… allowing the relationship to deteriorate was a serious failure to observe responsibilities,” the inquiry found.

    The report also says:

    • Architects Studio E failed to recognise the cladding and insulation were combustible, and “bears a very significant degree of responsibility for the disaster”
    • Cladding contractor Harley Facades “bears significant responsibility. It did not concern itself with fire safety at any stage"
    • Project manager Rydon “gave inadequate thought to fire safety to which it displayed a casual attitude throughout the project”
  20. Grenfell report deep dive: Missed opportunitiespublished at 17:26 British Summer Time 4 September

    Judith Burns
    Home affairs reporter

    A shot looking up at the Grenfell tower featuring a sign at the top reading 'Grenfell - Forever in our hearts'Image source, PA Media

    Over more than three decades there were “many opportunities for the government to identify the risks… and to take action”, says the report.

    Experts warned of the dangers of cladding fires as early as 1992, a year after a fire at the 11-storey Knowsley Heights tower in Merseyside.

    More warnings followed.

    In 1999, after another cladding fire, a committee of MPs said only non-combustible cladding should be used on tall buildings.

    Then in 2001 a series of large-scale fire tests revealed “striking results” when cladding “burned violently” - but the rules weren’t tightened and the results were kept confidential.

    In 2009 a fatal fire at Lakanal House in south London prompted a coroner to demand a review of building regulations, but this was “not treated with any sense of urgency”, says the report.