Grenfell Tower and Building Safety

Emma Dent Coad Excerpts

Monday 18th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Sajid Javid]

The fire advice situation can be different in every block. What we have asked is for the owners of such blocks, often the local authority or a housing association, to work with fire safety experts, including the fire and rescue service, and to make sure that, whatever the fire advice is, it is made very clear to every single resident. We believe that advice has been universally followed.

[Emma Dent Coad (Kensington) (Lab)]

Will the Secretary of State confirm that, despite the Prime Minister’s promise after the Grenfell Tower fire that,

“I have fixed a deadline of three weeks for everybody affected to be found a home nearby”,

there are, according to our calculations—including from the tower, Grenfell Walk, other walkways and nearby buildings—more than 200 children still in bed-and-breakfast accommodation after up to six months? I believe that is illegal.

[Sajid Javid]

The commitment we gave that all families would be offered temporary accommodation within three weeks of the date of the tragedy was absolutely met. They were all offered such accommodation. I have continually updated the House over the last six months, and no doubt the hon. Lady has had updates from her constituents. We have tried at every stage to offer both permanent accommodation and different types of temporary accommodation. As I have acknowledged today, there are still too many families in emergency accommodation, and we continue to work with the local authority to do whatever we can to reduce that number.