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London fire: MPs quiz minister on safety measures | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Special arrangements have been made to allow a government minister to address MPs at Westminster about the Grenfell Tower fire in London. | |
Despite Parliament still being suspended ahead of the Queen's Speech, Fire Minister Nick Hurd is making a statement in the Grand Committee Room. | |
Theresa May has ordered a full public inquiry, "to ensure that this terrible tragedy is properly investigated". | |
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: ""We have to get to the bottom of this." | |
His party is calling for measures recommended after another fatal fire in 2009 to be implemented immediately. | His party is calling for measures recommended after another fatal fire in 2009 to be implemented immediately. |
Rescuers do not expect to find anyone else alive in Grenfell Tower, north Kensington. Police said 17 people had been confirmed dead but that was expected to rise. | Rescuers do not expect to find anyone else alive in Grenfell Tower, north Kensington. Police said 17 people had been confirmed dead but that was expected to rise. |
Mr Hurd told MPs the "exceptionally complex" investigation would take several months. | |
He said the focus remained on the immediate emergency response before attention would turn to the cause of the fire. | |
Shadow housing minister John Healey said it was a "national tragedy" and urged ministers to begin installing sprinkler systems immediately and not to wait for the result of the public inquiry. | |
Questions have been raised about why the fire spread so quickly and whether the advice given to residents was correct - they were told to stay put and wait to be rescued. | Questions have been raised about why the fire spread so quickly and whether the advice given to residents was correct - they were told to stay put and wait to be rescued. |
Attention has also focused on recommendations made in 2013 after a fire in a tower block in Lakanal House in Camberwell in 2009 in which six people died. | Attention has also focused on recommendations made in 2013 after a fire in a tower block in Lakanal House in Camberwell in 2009 in which six people died. |
These included installing sprinkler systems in high-risk buildings and reviewing building regulations. | These included installing sprinkler systems in high-risk buildings and reviewing building regulations. |
In October the former Housing Minister, Gavin Barwell, said the government had "publicly committed" to reviewing building regulations in relation to fire safety after the Lakanal House fire. | In October the former Housing Minister, Gavin Barwell, said the government had "publicly committed" to reviewing building regulations in relation to fire safety after the Lakanal House fire. |
Mr Healey said this review had "not been started". | |
"The residents and others have some really serious questions to put to ministers and the people who run the building," he said. | "The residents and others have some really serious questions to put to ministers and the people who run the building," he said. |
Responding to reports, the Department for Communities and Local Government said it was "simply not true" that a report about building regulations had been "sat on". | Responding to reports, the Department for Communities and Local Government said it was "simply not true" that a report about building regulations had been "sat on". |
Mrs May promised a public inquiry, saying that "people want answers". | |
She added: "We need to know what happened, we need to have an explanation of this - we owe that to the families, to the people who have lost loved ones, friends and the homes in which they lived." | |
The PM visited the scene of the fire on Thursday morning. She was briefed by the emergency services and met front-line staff. | |
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also visited, meeting local clergy and volunteers helping with the recovery operation. | Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also visited, meeting local clergy and volunteers helping with the recovery operation. |
"We have to get to the bottom of this," he told one of the community leaders. | "We have to get to the bottom of this," he told one of the community leaders. |
"The truth has got to come out and it will." | "The truth has got to come out and it will." |
Parliament cannot officially meet until the Queen's Speech has been delivered on 21 June. | Parliament cannot officially meet until the Queen's Speech has been delivered on 21 June. |
The Liberal Democrats have called for an urgent review into fire safety and building regulations. | The Liberal Democrats have called for an urgent review into fire safety and building regulations. |