Statement from MHCLG Secretary of State
Following the Grenfell Tower update from the Metropolitan Police, please see the below statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government said:
Today, my thoughts are first and foremost with the bereaved families, survivors and immediate Grenfell community. 72 innocent lives were lost in the Grenfell Tower tragedy of June 2017, and those most affected have been waiting more than 9 years for this next step towards justice. I pay tribute to the dignity, persistence and courage of the Grenfell community, and their campaign for justice and answers.
The Government failed in its fundamental duty to keep the residents of Grenfell Tower safe. Lives were lost as a consequence of profound failures within the building safety system. On behalf of the British state, I am sorry.
The Metropolitan Police Service has today announced it has handed case files to the Crown Prosecution Service. This marks an important step. Operation Northleigh has been conducted independently of government. And it is right that the independent criminal justice process now takes its course.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was notified in 2023 by the Metropolitan Police that it was under investigation. The department cooperated fully throughout. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, the department has not until now discussed publicly the detail of the investigation, including its own status as a subject of it.
The Metropolitan Police has today confirmed to the department that a file relating to MHCLG has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service to conduct a full and independent review of the evidence to determine whether the evidential requirements in relation to a potential breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 have been reached.
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.