Government Taken to Task by Lack of Action on Grenfell-style Combustible Cladding

THE EQUALITY and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has written to the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government (DHCLG) outlining its concerns about the continued use of combustible cladding in existing buildings and advising the department of its responsibilities under human rights laws to protect lives.

The Commission has expressed its concern that the consultation on the use of external cladding omits any reference to the government’s duty to protect lives under article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights and schedule 1 to the Human Rights Act 1998.

The organisation has published a Policy Briefing, Following Grenfell: the right to life outlining how the Grenfell Inquiry should address “broader systemic issues” to ensure that the state supports people’s right to life:

The UK Government’s duty to investigate

The Grenfell inquiry will be largely responsible for discharging the state’s obligation to investigate potential violations of the right to life in light of the fire at Grenfell Tower. However, in order to fulfil that duty, we think that the inquiry must also consider broader systemic issues, which may raise questions relating to state responsibility. These include:

– the adequacy of the building regulations in place, and of their supervision

– whether relevant public bodies provided sufficient information and advice about fire safety to the residents

– whether residents were able to access the legal system to raise concerns about fire safety effectively

– whether responsible public bodies have fulfilled their duty to enable everyone to enjoy a life in dignity, including in the aftermath of the tragedy

– whether special measures were put in place to address the needs of disadvantaged people and groups, including those sharing protected characteristics, such as children and disabled people, and

– whether responsible bodies have taken enough action to tackle entrenched structural factors, such as discrimination on the ground of socio-economic disadvantage, race or migration status.
                                                                     Following Grenfell: the right to life

Grenfell-style Combustible Cladding

The British Safety Council has welcomed the challenge to the government that a failure to address the risk to life posed by flammable external cladding, similar to that used on the Grenfell Tower, is a breach of human rights.

“The British Safety Council has participated in the consultation, calling for much tighter building controls, clearer guidance and effective enforcement,” said Lawrence Waterman, Chairman of the British Safety Council.

“The EHRC intervention takes a wider view and supports our long-held and consistent argument that health and safety is a crucial underpinning of the human right to life.”

He continued: “The British Safety Council vision of no-one being injured or made ill by their work will only be realised when everyone cooperates to defend this basic human right for all. We call on the government to take a much clearer lead and responsibility for past failures to protect life so tragically highlighted by the Grenfell Tower fire.”

>> Read more of the latest news