Lords debates Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Debate

Lord Khan of Burnley (Labour), Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, put forward the debate and responded on behalf of the government.

This was a general debate. During debates, members put their experience to good use to discuss current issues and draw the government's attention to concerns.     

Members speaking

Contributing members included:

• Lord Best (Crossbench), former member of the London Housing Advisory Board Trust
• Baroness Pidgeon (Liberal Democrats), former board member of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
• Baroness Sanderson of Welton (Conservative), community engagement advisor to Nick Hurd MP, former Minister for Grenfell Victims and the Fire Service
• Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative), member of the independent Grenfell Tower Recovery Plan taskforce.

Opening the debate, Lord Khan of Burnley said:

'As the inquiry makes clear, the tragedy was the result of a collective failure: the failure of the state to protect residents from harm and of those we trust to build and maintain our homes to put safety first.'

Baroness Sanderson of Welton added:

'No one, in any link of the chain that led to this catastrophe, seemed to care that they were engaged in the business of health and safety—that the decisions they took, or did not take, could have a very real impact on people’s lives.

'In the years between the fire at Knowsley Heights in 1991 and the Grenfell fire in 2017, important recommendations affecting fire safety were ignored.'

Catch up

• Watch the Parliament TV recording.
• Read the Lords Hansard transcript.

Explore background information  

• Read the House of Lords Library briefing.  
• Find out more about the Grenfell Tower Inquiry (external website).
• Learn more about how the House of Lords checks and challenges government.

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