Grenfell Tower: Gove urges Kingspan to fund cladding compensation

The inquiry found firms had not done enough in protecting residence in Grenfell Tower.

Irish firm Kingspan has been urged by Michael Gove to provide a "comprehensive package of financial support" where cladding products were "inappropriately used on buildings".

The levelling up secretary wrote to the company after it told the Observer newspaper it would pay for remediation.

Mr Gove said while it was a positive step he hoped it was "a first step only".

Kingspan said it stood by a commitment to pay its share of remediation costs.

It added that it would also contribute "to an appropriate joint government and industrywide funding mechanism" to support wider fire safety issues on buildings.

The Cavan-based company had a small amount of its insulation used in Grenfell Tower.

An inquiry into the tower block fire criticised Kingspan's business practices but the company said its products made up 5% of the insulation and was not supplied nor recommended by it.

Cladding removal scheme

Seventy-two people died in June 2017 after a fire began in the tower in west London.

In the letter, Mr Gove said he was appalled by the evidence he heard during the inquiry about "reckless and deceptive behaviour" in Kingspan.

He added that the company should provide a package of financial support along with the other construction product manufacturers.

The money, Mr Gove suggested, would help to pay for a scheme aimed at helping leaseholders who live in buildings between 11m (36ft) and 18.5m high, who are facing large bills for the removal of dangerous cladding.

It means those leaseholders will not have to pay for the cladding's removal.

Mr Gove recently exposed firms that failed to sign a contract to repair post-Grenfell safety risks.

He has previously written to Ulster Rugby asking it to consider its relationship with Kingspan following the Grenfell Inquiry.

'Safe products'

A spokesperson for Kingspan said the company's products were safe and K15 insulation "is safe when installed correctly in appropriate external wall systems".

Kingspan's K15 insulation was used in part of the flammable cladding system mounted on to Grenfell Tower.

The spokesperson added that the company would pay its share of remediation costs "where we have responsibility for the inappropriate use of K15 in a high-rise residential building, and its safe retention cannot be supported by testing".

They added that Kingspan was "committed to constructive dialogue and welcome further engagement with our trade associations and the department".