Former Minister: Why was law not updated?

A FORMER Housing Minister expressed his shock last night over the Government’s failure to update fire safety laws which campaigners say could have saved the lives of Grenfell Tower tenants.

Ex-MP Stephen Williams said he was alarmed to find out promises he had made in the Commons to update building regulations relating to fire had not been kept by his successors.

As a Coalition Minister, Lib Dem Mr Williams pledged in March 2015 to review ‘outdated’ fire laws, following a campaign by the All Party Parliamentary Fire Safety & Rescue Group for new legislation.

But, following the 2015 General Election, Mr Williams, 50, was replaced by Tory James Wharton, who in turn was replaced by Gavin Barwell in 2016 as Housing Minister.

Mr Barwell, who lost his seat this month, is now Theresa May’s chief of staff and has been criticised for allegedly failing to act fast enough to improve fire safety. Last night, Mr Williams said: ‘I remember confirming in the Commons that we would complete a review of Part B (fire safety) building regulations and publish the findings by the end of 2016 or early 2017. But I stopped being the Minister shortly afterwards.

‘I only became aware the review had not taken place a couple of days ago, following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Of course, this disappoints me as I gave an assurance on behalf of the Government at the time, based on the advice of officials that we would do this. I can’t see any reason why the review hasn’t happened.’

Mr Williams also criticised the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation over the failure to observe manufacturer’s warnings over the use of polyethylene – that it should not be used on buildings more than ten metres high.

He said: ‘Clearly it is alarming. This will be something for Kensington and Chelsea and their contractors to answer for, if they were not following manufacturer’s advice.’