Government to pay £400m to replace ‘Grenfell cladding’

THE Government will fully fund the removal and replacement of dangerous cladding materials from tower blocks by councils and housing associations, Theresa May has said.

Mrs May told MPS at Prime Minister’s Questions that the work would cost an estimated £400million.

The Prime Minister said that since the Grenfell Tower blaze last year, the fire and rescue services had visited more than 1,250 high-rise buildings and immediate action had been taken to ensure the safety of every resident. Of the 210 households in need of a new home in the wake of the fire, 201 had accepted an offer of either temporary or permanent accommodation.

The announcement came as Labour prepared to use a Commons opposition day debate to press ministers on detailed demands on building safety.

John Healey, the shadow housing secretary, said: “More than 11 months on, the time for warm words is long past, and people are rightly asking why so little has changed since the fire.”