Policy paper

Progress report: summary update

Updated 17 December 2025

Overview

Last updated: 17 December 2025

Theme	Number of recommendations	In progress	Complete
The construction industry	28	25	3
Fire and rescue services	13	12	1
Response and recovery	14	14	0
Vulnerable people and Phase 1 recommendations	6	2	4
Total	61	53	8

Introduction 

This is the government’s third progress report on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 recommendations.

This edition of the progress report has been published alongside the:

• Single Construction Regulator prospectus and consultation
• fire engineering authoritative statement and next steps document
• findings of the Building Safety Regulator’s review of the higher-risk building definition

The government accepted all of the Inquiry’s findings and is taking action on all 58 recommendations to build a more robust and trusted regulatory system to deliver safe, quality homes for everyone.

Since the progress report in September, we have completed 5 further recommendations. Recommendations 2, 17 and 25 related to the construction industry, recommendation 39 related to fire and rescue services, and recommendation 58 related to vulnerable people.

Timeline for delivery

We remain on track to deliver all recommendations within four years. As set out previously, we expect it will take this amount of time as some recommendations cannot be delivered without passing new legislation.

The implementation timeline we introduced in September sets our key milestones for each recommendation and our expected completion date. We will continue to update this each quarter to reflect new milestones or changes in delivery timelines.

We continue to work to progress all recommendations at the appropriate pace and minimise delays and have robust processes in place to monitor this work. If delivery timelines for specific recommendations ever need to be adjusted, we will set this out clearly in the implementation timeline and be transparent about the reason for the delay and the impact of this.

February Annual Report  

In our February 2025 response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 2 report, we committed to reporting annually to Parliament. This is part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and will make sure our progress remains open to scrutiny.

Our first annual report will be published in February 2026. We expect this to include both a verbal and written statement to Parliament, both of which will be available here on this GOV.UK page.

We will build on our response to the Inquiry, providing a wider overview on what we set out to do and the progress that has been made so far, plans for the upcoming year, and our responsibility to provide lasting change.

Following the annual report, we will continue with our quarterly reporting as scheduled in May, September and December before reporting to Parliament again in 2027.

Update on wider reforms 

Remediation acceleration plan (RAP)

As of October 2025, the Department is monitoring 5,570 residential buildings that are 11 metres and over in height and have been identified as having unsafe cladding. This is an estimated 65 to 97% of all buildings 11 metres and over in height expected to be remediated as part of MHCLG’s remediation programmes.

Of the 5,570 buildings identified with unsafe cladding, 2,705 (49%) have started or completed remediation works, of which 1,946 (35%) have completed remediation works. This includes remediation progress on high rise (18m+) and mid-rise (11-18m) buildings in height.

The latest monthly building safety remediation data release was published on 20 November 2025.

Higher-risk regime  

Since the introduction of the higher-risk buildings (HRB) regime and the establishment of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), we have started moving towards a better culture of building safety and compliance.

However, we recognise that the operation of the regime has resulted in some unintended consequences, notably the challenges faced by applicants in getting swift BSR approval for routine yet essential types of building work to existing higher-risk buildings.

In particular, we have become aware that some of the more comprehensive procedural requirements of the higher-risk building control process may pose disproportionate time and cost requirements, impeding the ability to swiftly carry out certain types of work in higher-risk buildings. This, in some cases, is leading to protracted delays in carrying out essential works and other safety-critical work, which may risk compromising the safety and well-being of residents and building users in higher-risk buildings.

Action is urgently needed to ensure the regime is proportionate while continuing to uphold essential building safety and quality standards.

That is why we will consult in the new year to seek views on our proposals (including from residents and the industry) to improve the proportionality of the building control process for certain types of building work to existing buildings within the higher-risk building regime.

We will also formally consult with the BSR on these proposals. Whilst we will consult on streamlining procedural requirements, those carrying out such building work will still be required to meet the functional requirements (standards) of the building regulations.

Social housing reforms

On 30 September, we directed the Regulator of Social Housing to set new rules for the competence and conduct of housing staff and rules about sharing information. The new standards will come into effect from October 2026. We will also seek to extend Freedom of Information rights to tenants of Tenant Management Organisations by April 2027.

Phase One of Awaab’s Law began on 27 October. It means landlords must fix serious damp, mould, and other urgent problems in set timeframes. Over 2026 and 2027, government will expand the regulations to cover all hazards listed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, except overcrowding.

New regulations came into force on 1 November, which means landlords must carry out stringent electrical safety checks for new tenancies every five years. They must also test any electrical appliances they provide. These rules will apply to all tenancies from May 2026.

Public consultations on the Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards closed in September. We are considering the responses before setting out next steps.

The Social Housing Innovation Fund launched on 27 October. This fund will support tenants, social landlords, and other organisations to help test new ideas that give tenants more of a say about decisions affecting their homes and landlord services.

Following an open application process over 130 new members joined the Social Housing Resident Panel to share their views and experiences to shape policy in development.

Ministers have met with several tenant groups to discuss their ideas for developing a tenant-led National Tenant Voice and to address the stigma some residents face.

Transparency and oversight

Recommendation 25 was accepted in principle, and in July we launched the first Public Inquiries: Recommendations and the Government Response dashboards which track the implementation of recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report and the May 2024 Infected Blood Inquiry report.

The dashboards will continue to evolve to include all inquiries from 2024 onwards, incorporating government implementation updates and being refreshed on a quarterly basis.

The last update, published on 14 November, included progress updates on the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, COVID-19 Inquiry Module 1 recommendations, and the Infected Blood Inquiry.

This commitment to transparency enhances both public scrutiny and accessibility in line with this recommendation. This recommendation is now closed and had been fully discharged.

Summary update on recommendations 

This section gives a summary update of the work that has been done to deliver recommendations since the last progress report in September 2025. It is grouped by the themes used by the Inquiry.

You can find detailed updates on all recommendations using the following links:  

• the construction industry

• fire and rescue services

• response and recovery

• vulnerable people

The construction industry 

Single Construction Regulator 

In the September progress report, we updated on progress to implement the single construction regulator, starting with work to support the existing regulatory regime by strengthening the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).

In November, we laid a Statutory Instrument that will transfer building safety functions from the Health and Safety Executive into a newly created arm’s length body.

Building on the reforms to the BSR, we have today (17 December 2025) published the Single Construction Regulator Prospectus: Consultation Document.

The prospectus confirmed the government’s commitment to the Inquiry recommendation and set out further detail on how we will deliver the single construction regulator. The prospectus also establishes our ambition to go beyond the Inquiry recommendation through a long-term, system-wide approach to regulatory reform and consults on the key areas of focus for our ambition.

Higher-risk building definition

The recommendation to review the definition of higher-risk buildings is complete and has been fully discharged.

Today (17 December 2025), the BSR published the results of their initial review alongside their plans for the ongoing review.

The initial review found that the current definition appropriately reflects the available evidence on risks to individuals from the spread of fire and structural failure. The BSR’s recommendation, therefore, is to not change scope at the present time. This has been carefully considered and accepted by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

BSR will conduct an ongoing review of the definition of higher-risk. This will ensure data and evidence on the risk to individuals is regularly assessed to determine whether the list of buildings subject to the enhanced regulatory oversight of the higher risk regime should be amended in any way.

Machinery of Government

The National Regulator for Construction Products in the Department for Business and Trade already reports to MHCLG’s Secretary of State, and we will continue to look at consolidation in the context of the report’s wider recommendations on institutional reform.

Ministerial responsibilities for all fire-related functions transferred from the Home Office to MHCLG from 1 April 2025 and the transfer of all relevant Home Office staff to MHCLG took place on 1 July 2025. The budget transfer has been approved but this recommendation cannot be closed until ‎the Parliamentary Supplementary Estimates process has been completed. By transferring the entirety of fire functions to MHCLG (and not just responsibility for fire safety) the government has gone further than the Inquiry’s recommendation.

Fire Engineers

The Fire Engineers Advisory Panel was established in April to provide expert and academic advice to government on the fire engineering profession.

In line with recommendation 17, it has been developing an authoritative statement on the expected skills and knowledge of a competent fire engineer. This work, informed by sector engagement, is a key step toward a more consistent and accountable profession.

The authoritative statement defines the role, responsibilities, and expected standards of the profession, supporting ethical conduct and helping to rebuild public trust. It outlines a number of key principles which should underpin future regulation and is part of a coordinated approach to implementing recommendations 15 to 18.

Today (17 December 2025), the department has published the authoritative statement alongside a next steps paper. This paper sets out the Department’s planned approach to recommendations 15, 16 and 18, providing the sector with clarity on how the authoritative statement fits within wider reform, including emerging plans for the regulation of the profession.

Building Control

The Building Control Independent Panel continues to meet regularly and is actively developing its recommendations for government.

It has agreed to publish a final report in the coming months, with the government planning to issue a formal response in the new year.

Fire and rescue services

College of Fire and Rescue

We remain committed to running a public consultation to gather views and evidence on what a new college of fire and rescue should aim to achieve, what functions it should fulfil and how it could best be delivered.

MHCLG has established a Task and Finish Group with key stakeholders in the fire sector to develop the ideas that will be included in the consultation. In order to develop a consultation that best meets the expectations of the Grenfell Inquiry report and will enable us to gather a robust evidence base, we plan to launch the consultation next year.

National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the London Fire Brigade (LFB)

The NFCC work has continued to progress in line with the agreed delivery and action plan. Various pieces of national guidance and learning materials have been reviewed with proposed changes and additions moving towards publication, through the relevant governance channels.

The first updated guidance, site-specific risk information, and lifts and lift keys was published on 23 October 2025.

The NFCC position on measures needed to ensure appropriate guidance and standards for lift keys and to ensure greater standardisation across the lift industry has been agreed and communicated to the Building Safety Regulator.

Engagement with Ofwat has continued, providing an opportunity for NFCC to highlight the issues faces by FRSs with regards to water supply and to influence positive change.

Response and recovery

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has made strong progress in strengthening local resilience.

Funding has been provided to all 5 Local Resilience Forum trailblazers, who are now implementing their plans, and the first Chief Resilience Officer has been appointed. A national working group has met regularly to design a peer review protocol, agreeing its core components and preparing a draft that will be refined and tested by the spring.

MHCLG, along with the CO, continues to develop a strong strategic partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA), the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) and the UK Resilience Academy (UKRA) to deliver training for local authorities and support them in reporting on resilience training undertaken.

MHCLG continues to support efforts to embed the UK Government Resilience Action Plan across local systems and to strengthen collaboration between national and local government.

Vulnerable people

Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs)

Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs) will be mandated from 6 April 2026 by the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations, laid on 4 July 2025.

Guidance to Responsible Persons on implementing these Regulations was published on 2 December 2025.