Grenfell Tower: Gove pressures Ulster Rugby over Kingspan links

Kingspan is a shirt sponsor for Ulster's and hold naming rights to the province's Ravenhill stadium

Michael Gove has written to Ulster Rugby asking them to reconsider their relationship with Kingspan over the firm's role in the Grenfell Tower fire.

The Irish company is Ulster's primary shirt sponsor and hold naming rights to the province's Ravenhill stadium.

The Grenfell Inquiry has heard evidence criticising its business practices.

Kingspan says that its K15 insulation made up only 5% of the insulation in the block and was used without its recommendation.

It points out that the exterior cladding, which it did not manufacture, was deemed by the inquiry to be the "principal reason" for how quickly the fire spread.

Practices 'seriously questioned'

Earlier this month the Mercedes Formula 1 team ended a sponsorship deal with Kingspan after the Grenfell United victims and survivors group criticised the arrangement.

Grenfell United subsequently wrote to Ulster Rugby asking the club to reconsider its Kingspan deal.

Ulster said it would not be making any comment whilst the inquiry is ongoing.

• Ulster decline response to Grenfell link

In his letter, Mr Gove, the UK housing minister, said: "I would like you to consider the evidence that has been presented to the the inquiry before deciding whether continuing with this arrangement is consistent with the values of your club.

"I do not believe that the public across these islands will feel that it is right that a community club should risk its reputation by partnering with a company whose practices have been so seriously called into question."

Mr Gove asked Ulster Rugby to consider the evidence heard at the Grenfell Inquiry

Among the evidence heard at the inquiry was that Kingspan misleadingly marketed K15 as being generally suitable for use on high rise buildings when it had only been approved for use as part of a specific cladding set-up.

The public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire is currently examining how the building was covered in flammable materials, which contributed to the spread of flames that took hold of the tower in June 2017, killing 72 people.

Ulster Rugby has confirmed that its CEO Jonny Petrie received a letter from Mr Gove.

"The information contained within will be considered as part of an existing active review, and we won't be making any further comment at this time," the spokesperson added.

Previously Kingspan has said: "The Grenfell Tower fire was a tragedy that should never have happened, and Kingspan supports the vitally important work of the inquiry to determine what went wrong and why.

"Kingspan played no role in the design of the cladding system on Grenfell Tower, where its K15 product constituted approximately 5% of the insulation and was used as a substitute product without Kingspan's knowledge in a system that was not compliant with the buildings regulations."

Kingspan is headquartered in County Cavan and employs up to 15,000 people across its global operations.

It also sponsors Breffni Park, the home of Cavan GAA.

Why is Kingspan facing criticism over the Grenfell fire?

Although the Irish company has argued that its products made up only 5% of the insulation on Grenfell Tower, the public inquiry exposed some concerning revelations about some of its working practices.

In particular, the firm's testing of its Kooltherm K15 insulation in 2005 to 2007 has raised serious questions about the company's approach to safety regulations.

The Grenfell Inquiry heard:

• That Kingspan carried out its first large-scale fire test on K15 in 2005, which passed, but included the use of non-weatherproofed cement fibre cladding panels, which critics said could not be used on a real high-rise building.

• Kingspan continued to use these test results to sell the material as appropriate for high-rise buildings, despite changing how K15 was produced and conducting a subsequent fire test on the product, which resulted in a "raging inferno". The test's result was described as shocking by the firm's ex-technical director Ivor Meredith.

• That the firm's technical manager, Philip Heath, sent an email to friends regarding a contractor's concerns over the material's use on high-rise buildings, saying he was being confused "for someone who gives a dam" and that he was "trying to think of a way out of this one, imagine a fire running up this tower! Any ideas?" Mr Heath told the inquiry he was in a dark place because of a friend's terminal illness.

• That in 2007, the firm carried out fire tests only on the foil covering K15, using its interpretation of the testing guidance to claim the entire product had achieved a "Class 0" industry-best safety standard. The inquiry heard evidence of two company employees joking that it was "all lies mate" and "all we do is lie here".

Lead counsel to the inquiry, Richard Millett, suggested that using Kingspan's interpretation of the regulations in England and Wales, a stick of dynamite wrapped in foil could be advertised as Class 0.

In Scotland, where it was made clear that the whole product needed to be tested, the firm did not make the same claim about K15's safety standard.

Kingspan has already admitted that the inquiry has highlighted "historic process shortcomings and unacceptable conduct within a part of its UK insulation business" and it has apologised unreservedly.