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Grenfell Tower fire: Building safety cuts corners, says review Grenfell Tower fire: Building safety cuts corners, says review
(35 minutes later)
Building regulations are leaving room for shortcuts, the woman leading a review into fire safety after the Grenfell Tower blaze has said.Building regulations are leaving room for shortcuts, the woman leading a review into fire safety after the Grenfell Tower blaze has said.
In her interim report, Dame Judith Hackitt said she was "shocked" by some of the practices she had seen, calling for better enforcement to "hold to account those who try to cut corners."In her interim report, Dame Judith Hackitt said she was "shocked" by some of the practices she had seen, calling for better enforcement to "hold to account those who try to cut corners."
She said a "cultural change" was needed instead of "doing things cheaply".She said a "cultural change" was needed instead of "doing things cheaply".
The independent review follows the 14 June fire, which killed 71 people.The independent review follows the 14 June fire, which killed 71 people.
A final report is expected in spring next year.A final report is expected in spring next year.
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid welcomed the report, calling it an "important milestone". Dame Judith's report said the fire in the west London block - in which many people also lost their homes - "should not have happened in our country in the 21st century".
In a written ministerial statement, he added: "This interim report provides a strong foundation for the next phase of the review. We will continue to work with Dame Judith and other partners over the coming months as she finalises her recommendations." Her review is aimed at making sure similar events do not happen in the future, rather than investigating the specific circumstances at Grenfell.
Dame Judith told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that people had to "commit to making buildings safer" instead of "simply doing things at least cost". She said the whole system of fire safety regulation regarding complex and high-rise buildings was "not fit for purpose", and left room for those who wanted to take shortcuts to do so.
In the interim report, she wrote: "It has become clear that the whole system of regulation, covering what is written down and the way in which it is enacted in practice, is not fit for purpose, leaving room for those who want to take shortcuts to do so. She called for a whole new system of enforcement and regulation for high-rise and complex buildings.
"There is plenty of good practice, but it is not difficult to see how those who are inclined to take shortcuts can do so." But she added this did not mean buildings were unsafe, with major building failures "very rare" and many people in the housing system doing the right thing.
The quality assurance of both people and materials was "seriously lacking," she added, and she criticised "complex" systems for making guidance harder to follow. Key problems Dame Judith found included that regulations were too complex and unclear; clarity of roles in design, construction and maintenance was poor, and the route for residents to escalate concerns was unclear.
"Rather than [complex regulations] giving people everything the need to know, it makes it quite difficult for people to penetrate that complexity to truly understand what they need to do," Dame Judith told the BBC. Interim recommendations included:
"There is clearly an opportunity to make that much simpler and to guide people to the right answer, rather than presenting them with all that information."
Dame Judith wants buildings to be managed through their "full life cycle", rather than just when they are new builds, so any changes to property do not threaten residents' safety.
"If you get it right first, that's a good start, but even then you have to have good systems in place to ensure change is managed properly," she said.
Lord Gary Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association, said the report "reinforces our warnings about the complexity and confusion in the current system".
He added: "The government needs to endorse the report's findings without delay and work with councils and the industry to take the process of reform forward in the way Dame Judith has set out."
But whilst Labour welcomed the report, it said the recommendations should have been implemented after a fire at Lakanal House, south London, in 2009, which left six dead.
Shadow housing secretary John Healey said: "Rather than waiting for the final report of this inquiry, ministers should start acting on existing recommendations immediately and incorporate recommendations from Dame Judith Hackitt when her inquiry is completed."
'Assurance to residents''Assurance to residents'
The review, launched in August, is looking at the effectiveness of existing building and fire safety regulations, with a focus on high-rise tower blocks.
It will also report on tests carried out on cladding in the aftermath of the fire to indentify any "potential systemic failures".
"The review's two key priorities are to develop a more robust regulatory system for the future and provide further assurance to residents that the buildings they live in are safe and remain safe," said the government.
Dame Judith said a "tremendous amount of work" had been done by central government and the fire and rescue service since Grenfell to reassure residents.Dame Judith said a "tremendous amount of work" had been done by central government and the fire and rescue service since Grenfell to reassure residents.
Although separate from the public inquiry into the tragedy, being headed by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, it will run in parallel and add to his review where it can. But she called for a culture change across the entire industry and those parts of government that oversee it.
Although separate from the public inquiry into the tragedy, being headed by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the review will run in parallel and add to his inquiry where it can.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said public safety was "paramount", adding: "We are determined to make sure that we learn the lessons from the fire and from the inquiries that are taking place."A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said public safety was "paramount", adding: "We are determined to make sure that we learn the lessons from the fire and from the inquiries that are taking place."
Dame Judith will appear in front of the Commons' local government committee later to discuss the report. Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid said the report was an "important milestone".
But Labour said the recommendations should have been implemented after a fire at Lakanal House, south London, in 2009, which left six dead.
Shadow housing secretary John Healey said ministers should start acting on existing recommendations immediately rather than wait for the final Hackitt report.
Lord Gary Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association, said the report "reinforces our warnings about the complexity and confusion in the current system".
He said the government should take action straightaway to work with councils and the industry to take the process of reform forward.
Dame Judith is due appear in front of the Commons' local government committee to discuss the report.