The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has received the Metropolitan Police evidence file in order to conduct an independent investigation into the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
Secretary of state for housing, communities & local government, Angela Rayner, said in a speech yesterday that the Metropolitan Police have taken the next step in the Grenfell Tower inquiry.
The evidence will be used in a full independent review to determine whether any breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 were made.
The police investigation has taken three years
During the speech, Rayner said the MHCLG was notified in 2023 that the Metropolitan Police were investigating the ministry, and that neither the ministry nor the police had publicly mentioned it until now to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
Now, the CPS will conduct its own independent review of the evidence, and if breaches have been made, will potentially make prosecutions against those responsible.
Rayner said: “I recognise the significance and gravity of this development, and we will respond with the appropriate and necessary diligence and care. The CPS will lead on the next steps and the government will continue to cooperate fully in the next stage of this process.
“The Grenfell Tower Inquiry exposed profound failures in the building safety system. As Secretary of State, I recognise that confidence will only be rebuilt through sustained action and visible change. I will ensure that the lessons from the Inquiry drive real and lasting change in how government works and provides safe homes for people across the country to ensure a tragedy like Grenfell can never happen again.”
Read Angela Rayner’s full speech here.
Government acting on Grenfell recommendations
Following the closure of the government’s own inquiry, several recommendations were made to improve the UK’s fire safety, particularly in tall buildings and those with unsafe cladding.
In May, the government published guidance to create a more accountable system for building safety based on these recommendations.
This includes recommendations concerning a skilled construction workforce, a better-equipped fire service, and speeding up the removal of unsafe cladding.
At the time, minister for building safety, fire and democracy, Samantha Dixon, stated: “The Grenfell tragedy should never have happened, and we remain committed to learning and acting on its failings.
“High standards, responsibility and safety must underpin the whole building process, upheld by everyone across the profession.”
Scotland Yard had also announced that there were 77 potential criminal charges related to Grenfell, 57 of which are individuals while 20 are companies. Evidence for these charges have or will be sent to the CPS before decisions are made.
