Assembly response to Grenfell inquiry

Commenting on the inquiry, Chair of the London Assembly Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee, Andrew Dismore AM said:

“Our thoughts today are first and foremost with the bereaved, survivors, and residents of Grenfell Tower.

“Earlier this month, the LFB published their own review of the night of the fire at a London Assembly Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee meeting. The LFB were honest about the mistakes that were made on the night. We heard how significant progress is being made with new training, equipment and policies. It was welcome to hear that much of this is already in place, given that we now know there are hundreds of dangerous buildings in London.

“We will continue to monitor LFB’s progress against these essential improvements, including ensuring there is preparation in place for mass evacuations. We now know that over two hundred buildings in London have had ‘stay put’ suspended and the Brigade and residents must be ready to cope with the risks this poses. While we have not seen a copy of the report yet, we will be reviewing it as soon it’s officially released and questioning LFB at a public meeting in November.

“Criticism of any individual fire fighter’s actions on the night risks losing the focus on the fact that they should never have been faced with that situation. The Brigade’s areas of improvement are well documented. What appears new in the leaks today is the Inquiry’s findings that the cladding was non-compliant.

“We know that the release of this report will be harrowing for the bereaved, survivors and relatives, as well as firefighters involved on that night, and we encourage anyone who needs it to reach out to dedicated welfare services.”