Grenfell Tower Inquiry Report

Lord Best Excerpts

Friday 22nd November 2024 Lords Chamber

[Lord Best (CB)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for introducing this debate so helpfully. I am delighted to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, and the noble Baroness, Lady Sanderson—to whom I pay a special tribute for all her hard work on behalf of the Grenfell residents over several years.

The Grenfell tragedy continues to have powerful consequences. It revealed truths that had been hidden for years about the nation’s construction industry and its housing provision. No more painful way of bringing these deficiencies to light could be imagined. But the legacy of Grenfell can and must be new and better systems that fundamentally change the way the nation provides the buildings and, in particular, the homes we need.

Attention has rightly focused primarily on aspects of the construction process the Grenfell inquiry has shown to have been deeply flawed on numerous levels. However, I will highlight a different aspect—one where I believe the campaigners of Grenfell United have been instrumental in securing important reform of lasting wider significance. The issue here is the management of social housing; that is, council and housing association homes. Fundamental reform to the regulation of social housing management has been introduced as a consequence of the pressures following the terrible fire, embodied in the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. Changes continue to materialise from the pipeline of measures introduced by the Act.

The Grenfell inquiry report documents the highly unsatisfactory relationship that existed between the body responsible for the day-to-day management of the council’s housing in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea—its so-called tenant management organisation—and the residents themselves, the consumers and customers. A poisonous atmosphere and deep mistrust characterised this relationship. It is clear that the views of the residents, their insider knowledge and understanding, and their warnings about safety were all largely ignored and dismissed by the managing body. Poor organisational behaviour and a lack of accountability and transparency compounded the hostile and negative relationships between the tenant management organisation and the tenants themselves.

Grenfell United, the residents’ campaigning body, with support from Shelter, pressed for changes to regulation and consumer protection across the social housing sector. With the awful experience of the consequences when a social landlord fails to listen to residents’ views, Grenfell United shone a spotlight on the need for social housing landlords to be held to account, to adhere to proper standards and, where things were not working out, for new regulatory mechanisms to sort matters out. As a direct result of the tenacious efforts of the Grenfell residents, the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 introduced a change of direction for the regulator whereby the setting and regulating of consumer standards is now a priority for the regulator, alongside the previous priorities of financial viability and governance.

As the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report notes, the 2023 Act

“enables the Regulator of Social Housing to play a more active role”

in the management of social housing,

“setting appropriate standards”,

requires information to be made available

“both to tenants and the regulator”,

and enforces good practice.

A central aspect of the shift in emphasis embodied in the 2023 Act relates to the way the regulator operates. The Grenfell United advocates felt that the oversight role of the regulator necessitated regular inspections—actual visits—to the social housing landlords, seeing and hearing first-hand how relationships were working out and how well the housing management was being performed. Grenfell United argued that if face-to-face contact had been made with the tenant management organisation, the regulator would have heard the voice of residents; the true position would have become clear to the regulator; and, who knows, the Grenfell tragedy coming down the line might have been foreseen and some action taken. An inspections regime means a changed approach from one of receiving written material from the landlords and forming a judgment at a distance.

Of course, however, physical inspections mean extra staff and extra expense. The Government of the day had hesitations about including a requirement in the Bill for the regulator to inspect periodically. So this was not part of the original Bill. I had the honour of tabling and championing an amendment to the Bill to insert an inspections duty into the legislation. We were blessed with a Minister in the Lords—the noble Baroness, Lady Scott of Bybrook—who has supported the Grenfell United representatives consistently over many years. She backed the case and brought forward a government amendment to embrace mine. As a result, today a regular inspection regime is up and running.

Last week, I met the Regulator of Social Housing, Fiona MacGregor, and her chief of regulatory engagement, Kate Dodsworth. I was delighted to hear that inspections are now a central component in the implementation of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act’s intentions and are proving an invaluable mechanism in raising standards. The Grenfell inquiry has been able to conclude that with regard to the management of social housing

“we do not consider it necessary to make any additional recommendations in relation to the matters that we have uncovered”.

This conclusion by Sir Martin Moore-Bick and his panel is a testimony to the persistence of Grenfell United and, I must say, to the House of Lords for improving government legislation, greatly assisted by Ministers in both Houses willing to listen.

In conclusion, I must ask about a related concern which has also been raised by others. The concern relates to another aspect in the shift of culture of social landlords that presses them to raise their housing management standards. This, as the Minister mentioned, covers the role of the regulator in ensuring good standards of competence and conduct by insisting on the managers of social housing receiving relevant training and obtaining professional qualifications for the tasks they perform. Thanks to another last-minute amendment to the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, the Secretary of State now has the power to introduce this obligation on social landlords, and for the social housing regulator to enforce it: all good stuff. However, we are yet to see details of the mandatory qualifications or hear about a timetable for the housing associations and councils to take action. When will these details be announced?

Finally, I reiterate my congratulations to the Grenfell United team, who have made such a difference to the way that social housing is managed and regulated. Hundreds of thousands of residents in this sector will benefit for years to come from the tenacity and passion of this small but highly effective group.