Starmer says move will provide more 鈥渃oherent approach鈥� to fire safety

The government will move responsibility for fire safety from the Home Office to the housing department as part of its response to the Grenfell Inquiry鈥檚 final report.

Keir Starmer said in a written statement late last week that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), headed by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, would take over the brief as part of a 鈥渕ore coherent approach to keeping people safe from fire in their homes鈥�.

The promise is a step towards fulfilling one of the recommendations in the Grenfell Inquiry鈥檚 final report, which called for building safety responsibilities to be consolidated under a single secretary of state.

rayner

Source: MHCLG/Flickr

The MHCLG, headed by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, seen visiting the York Central scheme last week, will take over fire safety responsibilities from the Home Office

The report, published in September last year, criticised the 鈥渄ispersed鈥� responsibilities for building safety under the current regime since the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people in 2017.

The Home Office is the current home of fire risk assessment, with the 精东影视 Safety Regulator contained within the Department of Work and Pensions and the construction products regulator within MHCLG.

>> See also: Government setting up new cladding remediation enforcement unit

The move has been 鈥渨holeheartedly鈥� welcomed by the Fire Brigades Union, which said it was an 鈥渋mportant first step to repairing the damage done to the fire and rescue service by recent governments鈥�.

It was also welcomed by the National Fire Chiefs Council, which said fire and rescue services had faced 鈥渃onsiderable challenges鈥� implementing reforms since the Grenfell Tower fire.

Starmer has previously said he would respond to the report鈥檚 58 recommendations in full by 4 March.

The move of fire risk assessment responsibilities to MHCLG is part of a broader recommendation to create a single 鈥榮uper-regulator鈥� for the entire construction industry within one department.

Industry experts have said Starmer is likely to support the recommendation in principle but take a more gradual approach to the change which could be tied into a five-year review of the 精东影视 Safety Regulator, which is due in 2027.

Topics