Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) research, (b) planning and (c) development of procedures had been undertaken by her Department on mass evacuations of tower blocks before the Grenfell Tower fire.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must undertake and review regularly a fire risk assessment of the non-domestic premises within tower blocks and put in place and maintain adequate and appropriate fire precautions to mitigate the risk to life from fire. This includes ensuring adequate means of escape for building users. The Local Government Association (LGA) produced guidance on fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats to support responsible persons to deliver an appropriate level of fire safety.

Operational guidance, including guidance on managing incidents and undertaking mass evacuations in the event of a fire, is a matter for the sector.