Committee publication · Correspondence · 10 September 2025

Letter from the Secretary of State and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth dated 23 July 2025 concerning the Government's response to the Committee's inquiry on Grenfell and Building Safety

From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Summary

Government response to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee's inquiry into Grenfell and Building Safety. The Government accepts all 58 Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 recommendations and commits to transparent implementation tracking via a new Cross-Government Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard (launched 21 July 2025). Response addresses national oversight mechanisms, resident engagement, building regulation reform, Building Safety Regulator capacity, remediation funding, fire safety standards, and leaseholder protections.

Key findings

Government launched Cross-Government Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard on 21 July 2025 to track implementation of public inquiry recommendations publicly, addressing Committee's concerns about insufficient oversight.
Building Safety Regulator reforms announced 30 June 2025: new leadership (Andy Roe as shadow board chair, Charlie Pugsley as CEO), Fast Track Process to accelerate case processing, and 100+ staff recruitment by end of 2025.
£1 billion new investment announced for 2026-27 to 2029-30 to give social housing providers equal access to remediation funding as private building owners; 115 social landlords signed up to joint acceleration plan covering 80% of unsafe social buildings.
Building Safety Levy design maintained: £3.4 billion target via autumn 2026 launch, with variable rates by local authority, 50% discount for previously developed land, and exemptions for affordable housing and developments under 10 dwellings.
Government committed to Residential PEEPs regulations (laid 4 July 2025) to mandate fire safety assessments for disabled residents in high-rise buildings, with funding for social landlords in 2025-26 and future funding via Spending Review.

Government position

Government accepts all Committee findings and the 58 Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 recommendations. Position is: (1) Supports independent scrutiny via new Dashboard and Parliament-led mechanisms rather than statutory National Oversight Mechanism; (2) Rejects statutory footing for building control panel, prioritising speed; (3) Rejects retroactive sprinkler mandate for existing care homes, citing proportionate existing fire safety duties; (4) Does not intend to revise Building Safety Levy design or estimates at this stage, citing advance notice and design features to minimise supply impact; (5) Not expanding leaseholder protections further but considering perpetuity issue for non-qualifying leases.

Tone

Procedural

Topics

building-safetypublic-inquiriesfire-safetyhousing-remediationregulatory-reform

Key actors

Angela Rayner MP, Alex Norris MP, Florence Eshalomi MP, Andy Roe, Charlie Pugsley, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), Grenfell United, INQUEST

Notable line

“… and the Government is committed to delivering the necessary change. We look forward to further conversations with you …”

Key Quotes

“The Grenfell Tower tragedy should never have happened. The bereaved families, survivors, and residents in the immediate community deserve answers and accountability.”
— Angela Rayner MP and Alex Norris MP · Opening statement of government commitment

“… we have committed to establishing a public record on GOV.UK of all recommendations made by public inquiries since 2024. This will serve as an enduring mechanism for monitoring and tracking the Government's implementation of inquiry recommendations.”
— Government · Response to Committee's concerns about oversight of inquiry recommendation implementation

“… on 21 July 2025, the Government launched the Cross- Government Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, reinforcing our commitment to transparency in tracking progress.”
— Government · Implementation of new monitoring mechanism

“The Government has strengthened leadership within the BSR to support its transition out of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and to provide a dedicated operational focus.”
— Government · Building Safety Regulator reforms announced 30 June 2025

“… the BSR plans to recruit more than 100 members of staff by the end of the year to enhance operations. To ensure transparency, the BSR will publish key performance related information quarterly.”
— Government · Capacity building and performance reporting for Building Safety Regulator

“The Treasury has agreed that necessary expenditure can be made in advance of receipts from the Building Safety Levy – this means that the shift to an Autumn 2026 levy launch date does not affect the pace of remediation.”
— Government · Response on remediation funding and levy implementation

“Following consultation, the Building Safety Levy has been carefully designed to minimise any detrimental impact on housing supply while balancing the need to raise the necessary revenue for building remediation.”
— Government · Justification for maintained levy design and rates

“We laid secondary legislation on Residential PEEPs on 4 July 2025. This means that residents with disabilities or impairments will be entitled to an assessment to identify necessary equipment and adjustments to aid their fire safety and evacuation.”
— Government · Implementation of fire safety protections for vulnerable residents

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗