Our safety-first approach paid off
WE can take some small comfort in the news that no council tower block inspected in Scotland is covered in the same cladding as that which appears to have caused the inferno at Grenfell.
We learned the hard way, it seems, after a 1999 fire in Irvine which killed one man and injured several others.
The local council immediately identified the cladding as a problem and took action.
The Scottish Parliament, then in its infancy, also took on responsibility and introduced building regulations to ban such cladding.
It contrasts sharply with England, where every single tower inspected has been found wanting.
Yet England also had a deadly warning – a fatal fire in east London where the coroner blamed cladding.
The difference is the Westminster parliament failed to act and Holyrood did. But that’s no reason to be complacent.
Nicola Sturgeon has set up a ministerial group to review safety. Holyrood’s cross-party local government committee, convened by Bob Doris, plan a full inquiry.
That shows our committee system is strong and effective. I personally hope the committee look at the retro-fitting of sprinklers in all residential high rises, which is compulsory for new-builds.
The Tories and the right-wing press undermine the Holyrood Parliament at any opportunity. But it often works well to protect those it represents.