Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2020 to Question 25623 on Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Public Appointments, if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract entered into with the search company appointed to recruit a replacement panel member.
Answered by Chloe Smith
As part of the Government transparency agenda, it is a legal requirement for central Government Departments to publish all awarded contracts over £10,000 in value on the Contracts Finder website. Once a contract for this recruitment has been finalised and signed it will be published in the usual way.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2020 to Question 25623 on Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Public Appointments, which search company has been engaged to identify a shortlist of candidates; and by what date that company has been asked to return a shortlist.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Further announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2020 to Question 25623, if he has set a deadline for a replacement panel member to be appointed.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Further announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when a new panel member will be appointed to the Grenfell Tower inquiry; and what discussions he has with people affected by the Grenfell Tower fire on that appointment.
Answered by Chloe Smith
In February, the Prime Minister, as Sponsor Minister for the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, wrote to the Inquiry Chair to confirm his intention to appoint a replacement panel member. He also confirmed that Cabinet Office officials would engage a search company to identify a shortlist of candidates.
As soon as a suitable new panel member has been identified, the Prime Minister will write to the Inquiry Chair to seek his consent to the appointment as required by the Inquiries Act. The successful candidate will be announced once the process has been completed so they start work as soon as possible.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2020 to Question 8952 on Public Appointments: Standards, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the due diligence process for appointments to the panels of statutory public inquiries following the resignation of Benita Mehra from her role as a panel member on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Due diligence and consideration of conflicts of interest are important parts of any appointment process. The Inquiries Act 2005 sets out the suitability and impartiality requirements of inquiry panel appointments. Appointments to statutory public inquiries are made in accordance with the Act.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the due diligence process for public appointments following the resignation of Benita Mehra from her role as a panel member on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Ms Mehra's appointment was not a public appointment. She was appointed to the panel of a statutory public inquiry in line with the Inquiries Act 2005.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the timeframe is for a report on phase one of the Grenfell Tower inquiry led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick will be published.
Answered by David Lidington
The timing and handling of the Inquiry is a matter for the independent Inquiry and the Government hopes that the report for phase 1 will be published soon.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has already begun Phase 2 with the ongoing disclosure of thousands of documents to core participants. Phase 2 of the Inquiry will address the design and modification of the building; the fire and safety measures within it; the management, governance and inspection of the tower; and the steps taken in the days immediately following the fire to support those whose homes had been destroyed. The Inquiry expects the Phase 2 hearings to begin in early 2020.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister's letter of 10 May 2018 to Sir Martin Moore-Bick, what the timetable is for appointing the two additional panel members to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
Answered by David Lidington
I refer the Right Honourable Member to my answer given to Question 246580 on 30 April 2019.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when phase two of the Grenfell Tower inquiry led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick is planned to start.
Answered by David Lidington
The timing and handling of the Inquiry is a matter for the independent Inquiry and the Government hopes that the report for phase 1 will be published soon.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has already begun Phase 2 with the ongoing disclosure of thousands of documents to core participants. Phase 2 of the Inquiry will address the design and modification of the building; the fire and safety measures within it; the management, governance and inspection of the tower; and the steps taken in the days immediately following the fire to support those whose homes had been destroyed. The Inquiry expects the Phase 2 hearings to begin in early 2020
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the second phase of the Grenfell Inquiry is planned to (a) start and (b) conclude.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry is an independent public Inquiry. The timetable for the Inquiry’s work is a matter for the Inquiry Chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick.
The Chair set out next steps for the Inquiry's work at the conclusion of the Phase 1 hearings on 12 December 2018.
Sir Martin noted that he would like to start the Phase 2 hearings as soon as possible, but that there is significant preparatory work to do.
A copy of the Chair's statement can be found in full on the Inquiry website