Seven companies named and shamed in Grenfell Inquiry face being placed on blacklist

Seven companies named and shamed in the Grenfell Inquiry are to be investigated and face being placed on a blacklist.

Following the deaths of 72 people in the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has given the government's response to the inquiry, published in September after seven years.

The government has accepted the findings of the report, which found "systematic dishonesty" contributed to the devastating fire and there were years of missed opportunities to prevent the catastrophe.

Politics latest: Starmer addresses boosting defence spending

One of the key changes the government has announced is seven organisations criticised in the report will now be investigated under the Procurement Act.

If they are determined to have not met certain stipulations, their names will be added to a "debarment list", which all contracting authorities will have to take into account when awarding new contracts.

Ms Rayner said Arconic, Kingspan and Saint-Gobain, the owner of Celotex - as well as four others she did not name in parliament - will be investigated. A total of 11 were named in the report.

The deputy PM, who is also the housing secretary, said the government "accepts the findings" of the inquiry and said the government will "prioritise residents and protect their interests, and make sure that industry builds safe homes, and provide clearer accountability and enforcement".

She apologised again to the families and friends of those who died, survivors and those who live around the tower.

"To have anyone anywhere living in an unsafe home is one person too many," she told the House of Commons.

"That will be our guiding principle and must be that of anyone who wants to build or care for our homes. That will be an important part of the legacy of Grenfell."

Another change will provide "stronger protections" for social housing tenants, giving them more power to challenge landlords and demand safe, high-quality housing, the government said.

It is doing this by expanding the "Four Million Homes" training, a government-funded initiative that provides guidance and training for social housing tenants.

However, the National Housing Association (NHA), which represents about 800 housing associations, said it missed the point as it said what social housing needed was the money to remove dangerous cladding.

Without that funding, social housing tenants are being left in unsafe homes and money is being taken away from building more much-needed social housing, the NHA said.

Ms Rayner also announced:

• A new single construction regulator so those responsible for building safety are held to account

• Tougher oversight of testing and certifying, manufacturing and using construction products - with "serious consequences" for those who break the rules

• A legal duty of candour through a "new Hillsborough Law", so public authorities must disclose the truth

• Stronger, clearer and enforceable legal rights for residents so landlords are responsible for acting on safety concerns

• A publicly accessible record of all public inquiry recommendations

Building safety minister Alex Norris said: "The Grenfell Tower fire was a preventable tragedy, and the failings it exposed demanded fundamental change.

"Our response today to the inquiry's findings sets out a comprehensive plan to reform the construction sector, strengthen oversight and make sure that residents are the priority when deciding on building safety issues.

"We will continue working closely with industry, local authorities and the Grenfell community to make sure these reforms deliver real, lasting change and rebuild trust."

Earlier this month, the government announced the tower, which has stood covered in scaffolding since the fire nearly eight years ago, will be "carefully" demolished in a process likely to take two years.

(c) Sky News 2025: Seven companies named and shamed in Grenfell Inquiry face being placed on blacklist