Government to look at barring firms linked to Grenfell fire from contracts

Seven organisations involved in the Grenfell Tower disaster face possible debarment from public contracts as the government accepted all recommendations of the public inquiry into the devastating fire and set out plans for "tough action" on the construction industry.

- Caroline Davies

Measures will include the introduction of a single regulator for construction to tackle fragmentation in the system. Fire safety will be brought under one department, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The official fire safety guidance, known as Approved Document B (ADB), will be reviewed and revised, and the definition of "higher-risk building" in law will also be revised.

The Grenfell Tower inquiry phase two 1,700-page report, released on 4 September, contained 58 recommendations, of which the government accepted 49 in full and nine in principle, saying they required "further consideration" through consultations.

The 2017 fire killed 72 people, with cladding found to be the principal reason for the rapid spread.