Single regulator to be introduced from 2028 as government sets out Grenfell Inquiry response

The government will introduce a single single regulator for the entire construction industry but not before 2028, Angela Rayner has pledged.

The deputy prime minister said the current regulatory regime would be consolidated into a single “strengthened” body reporting to a single secretary of state as she set out the government’s full response to the Grenfell Inquiry’s final report.

The government said: “We also accept the intent of the Inquiry’s recommendation to draw together functions relating to the construction industry under a single regulator.” But it added: “The single regulator will deliver the functions specified in the report with two exceptions. We do not believe it is appropriate for the single regulator to undertake testing and certification of construction products or issue certificates of compliance.”

In a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon, Rayner said the government would take forward all 58 recommendations in the 1,700-page report, published last September, which looked into the causes of the tower block fire which killed 72 people in June 2017.

A chief construction advisor will also be appointed to provide ministers with expert advice on construction matters. 

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said the response “marks the start of a new relationship between government and industry that is based on transparency, clarity, collective responsibility and external scrutiny”. 

“We will hold actors in the system to account, effectively enforce standards, steward the highest standards of culture and behaviour and facilitate transparent conversations,” the department said, adding that it “expects industry to take responsibility to instil this change”.

Changes will include subjecting organisations responsible for testing and certifying, manufacturing and using construction products to tougher oversight with “serious consequences” for those who break the rules, Rayner said.

Seven organisations criticised in the inquiry’s report, including Kingspan, Arconic and former Celotex owner Saint Gobain, will be investigated using new powers included in the Procurement Act, which came into force this week.

If certain grounds are met, these organisations will be added to a published “debarment list” which must be taken into account by contracting authorities when awarding new contracts.  

A new “Hillsborough Law” will also compel public authorities to “disclose the truth” in order to ensure transparency in major incidents while holding those responsible for failures to account.

The reforms will be delivered in phases over the course of this parliament, with the first phase running from 2025 to 2026 focussing on “effectively delivering” the government’s current programme of regulatory reform and change.

A second phase from 2026 to 2028 will consist of developing proposals to deliver the inquiry’s recommendations and wider reform, including through legislation, with implementation of the reforms starting in 2028.

The government will publish its progress on implementing the inquiry’s recommendations every quarter from the middle of this year and provide an annual update to parliament to “ensure wider scrutiny of the pace and direction of work”.

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Rayner said the inquiry’s final report “must be the catalyst for long lasting systemic change”.

“The Grenfell Tower tragedy claimed 72 innocent lives in a disaster that should never have happened. The final report exposed in stark and devastating detail the shocking industry behaviour and wider failures that led to the fire and the deep injustices endured by the bereaved, survivors, and residents,” she said. 

She described the government’s response to the inquiry report as reflecting the “tough action we are taking to drive change and reform the system to ensure no community will ever have to face a tragedy like Grenfell ever again”.

“That means greater accountability, stronger regulation, and putting residents at the heart of decision-making. We must deliver the fundamental change required. We owe that to the Grenfell community, to the country, and to the memory of those who lost their lives,” she said.

Building safety minister Alex Norris added: “Our response today to the Inquiry’s findings sets out a comprehensive plan to reform the construction sector, strengthen oversight and make sure that residents are the priority when deciding on building safety issues. 

“We will continue working closely with industry, local authorities and the Grenfell community to make sure these reforms deliver real, lasting change and rebuild trust.” 

Other measures announced today include stopping “unqualified individuals” from making critical fire safety decisions by legally requiring fire risk assessors to have their competence certified. 

Ministers will also consult on a new College of Fire and Rescue later this year to improve training and professionalism of firefighters.

Reacting to the announcement, Construction Leadership Council co-chair Mark Reynolds said: “In our view, the implementation of the recommendations, as set out by the Deputy Prime Minister, will result in safer homes and buildings for those who live and work in them and improve the quality of both the work done by the construction industry as well as the competence of those working in it.”

He added: “It is incumbent on us all to fully engage with and respond to the proposals for reform set out in the Construction Products Reform Green Paper published alongside the Government’s response.

“There must be continued collective responsibility to drive a meaningful and permanent cultural change and enhance the levels of competence in the construction sector.”

Andrew Parker, head of construction disputes and building safety practices at law firm Forsters, said it was sensible not to flood the industry with too much change. He added: “The industry is already getting to grips with relatively new legislation from the Building Safety Act and navigating the Building Safety Regulator. Too much radical change at this point would create further uncertainty and reduce productivity in the construction industry at a time when the government is seeking to deliver on its growth ambitions.”