After over six years of investigation, the second and final report of the inquiry into the disaster at the Grenfell Tower has been published, denouncing "dishonesty", "greed", "widespread incompetence", and a "merry-go-round of buck-passing".

The Rt Hon Sir Martin Moore-Bick has presented the final findings of his inquiry into the west London fire that killed 72 people in 2017, in which he identified many failings over many years and at every levels, from the local authority, to the cladding manufacturers, the fire brigade and the government. 

According to new research by two inquiry experts, however, the cladding was "by far the largest contributor" to the fire. This is due to "systematic dishonnesty" from cladding manufacturers, who "deliberately concealed" the fire risk the cladding represented. As a result, the Chair of the panel called for changes to the attitude and practices of the construction industry. 

The report states that its remarks are "directed to the system for ensuring safety from fire, but we have no reason to think that other aspects of building safety are not subject to similar considerations".

In the panel's view, the safety of people in the built environment depends principally on a combination of three primary elements, good design, the choice of suitable materials and sound methods of construction, each of which depends in turn in a large measure on a fourth, the skill, knowledge and experience of those engaged in the construction industry.

The inquiry however has identified "serious deficiencies in all four of those areas" at the time of the fire.

To remedy this and the fact that the arrangements under which the construction industry was regulated had become too complex and fragmented, the report calls for the creation of "a single independent body headed by a person whom, for the sake of convenience, we shall call a construction regulator, reporting to a single Secretary of State".

This would create "a focal point in driving a much-needed change in the culture of the construction industry. It would enable information to be shared effectively between those responsible for different aspects of the industry and promote the exchange of ideas".

The report envisages that this regulator would take on the following functions:

  • the regulation of construction products
  • the development of suitable methods for testing the reaction to fire of materials and products intended for use in construction
  • the testing and certification of such products
  • the issue of certificates of compliance of construction products with the requirements of legislation, statutory guidance and industry standards
  • the regulation and oversight of building control
  • the licensing of contractors to work on higher-risk buildings
  • monitoring the operation of the Building Regulations and the statutory guidance and advising the Secretary of State on the need for change
  • carrying out research on matters affecting fire safety in the built environment
  • collecting information, both in this country and abroad, on matters affecting fire safety
  • exchanging information with the fire and rescue services on matters affecting fire safety
  • accrediting fire risk assessors
  • maintaining a publicly available library of test data and publications.

In her statement during the event, panel member and architect Thouria Istephan addressed members of the construction industry directly, saying: "If you work in the construction industry and you do not feel the weight of responsibility you have for keeping people safe, you are in the wrong job."

Having welcomed the passing of the Building Safety Act 2022, which followed the publication of the first report, she explained that change needs to go further. As such the recommendations of the report outline "what needs to be done to save lives in the future", and to "make sure the legcy of Grenfell is real and brings about lasting and progressive change".

Kingspan, which the report accuses of "knowingly creat[ing] a false market in insulation for use on buildings over 18 metres in height" from 2005 until after the Inquiry had begun, released the following statement: "Today is another extremely difficult day for the relatives and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire and we extend our deepest sympathies to those impacted by the tragedy.

"We welcome the publication of today’s report which is crucial to a public understanding of what went wrong and why. It explains clearly and unambiguously that the type of insulation (whether combustible or non-combustible) was immaterial, and that the principal reason for the fire spread was the PE ACM cladding, which was not made by Kingspan.

"Kingspan has long acknowledged the wholly unacceptable historical failings that occurred in part of our UK insulation business. These were in no way reflective of how we conduct ourselves as a Group, then or now. While deeply regrettable, they were not found to be causative of the tragedy."

It continued: "Kingspan has already emphatically addressed these issues, including the implementation of extensive and externally-verified measures to ensure our conduct and compliance standards are world leading.

"We remain committed to playing a leading role in providing safe and sustainable building solutions, including continuing to work with government and industry partners."

Nicola John, Managing Director at Fire Door Maintenance, part of UAP, said: “The Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report underscores the vital need for rigorous fire door maintenance and compliance. The failure of fire doors during the Grenfell tragedy is a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining these life-saving systems according to manufacturers’ guidelines.

“We need mandatory, detailed inspections for all buildings, regardless of height, and greater accountability across the industry. That’s why FDM is advocating for a central register of qualified operatives—inspectors, maintainers, and installers—so that we can ensure fire doors consistently meet the highest safety standards and prevent future tragedies. It’s something the industry direly needs, and FDM is bridging the gap, providing holistic training for the industry in order to make this a reality."

The damning final report of the Grenfell Inquiry has shown the need for competence but there is still a great deal of work to do, according to the Federation of Master Builders.

Brain Berry, Chief Executive, said: “While the nation’s local builders are, for the most part, far removed from work that has been investigated as part of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, it does not mean they are precluded from improving industry standards.

"Domestic builders do not have minimum competence levels; they are not a protected profession like plumbers or electricians. If industry and government is serious about delivering competence, then introducing minimum standards for entry into domestic building work is a must – this is competence from the ground up.” 

Berry continued: “The new government needs to turn away from a culture of cutting regulation, which in part has led to poor building safety, and license domestic builders, underpinning the building regime with minimum standards.

"Why should homeowners not share in the safety net implemented post-Grenfell? Without minimum standards, unregulated or ‘dodgy’ building work will continue, and the industry will not shake off its poor reputation, which is driven by rogue operators plying their trade free from consequence.

“However, where government has tried to regulate domestic builders, through the Building Safety Act, mostly for work involving building control, it has only outlined high level requirements without any underpinning competence. This has left builders confused and worried about committing to work they feel they may no longer be competent to do. The new Government must address this immediately, so industry has clear guidance.”