Latest news with #ProcurementAct2023
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Government tackled over why Grenfell cladding ‘crooks' not behind bars
Ministers have been pressed over why 'crooks' running a firm that made the cladding on Grenfell Tower that was devastated in a fire eight years ago are 'not behind bars'. The call by Labour former minister Lord Rooker came after fresh evidence emerged that bosses at US-based manufacturing giant Arconic knew of the dangers posed by the highly flammable material prior to the 2017 disaster at the west London high-rise block, which claimed 72 lives. It followed the release of documents secured through legal action by the makers of a forthcoming Netflix documentary, Grenfell: Uncovered, which were shared with The Sunday Times. The final report of the Grenfell inquiry concluded each of the deaths was avoidable and had been preceded by 'decades of failure' by government and the building industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings. It also found victims, the bereaved and survivors were 'badly failed' through incompetence, dishonesty and greed. The tower block was covered in combustible products because of the 'systematic dishonesty' of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said last year. He also condemned the 'deliberate and sustained' manipulation of fire safety testing, misrepresentation of test data and misleading of the market. Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex came in for particularly heavy criticism. Arconic was found to have 'deliberately concealed from the market the true extent of the danger' of using its cladding product, particularly on high-rise buildings. Kingspan had, from 2005 and even after the inquiry began, 'knowingly created a false market in insulation' for use on buildings over 18 metres, the report said. Celotex then, in an attempt to break into this market created by Kingspan, 'embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market', Sir Martin concluded. The Cabinet Office confirmed in February that seven companies were facing possible bans – Arconic, Kingspan, former Celotex owners Saint-Gobain, fire inspectors Exova, design and build contractor Rydon, architect Studio E and subcontractor Harley Facades. Investigations were launched by the Government in March, assessing whether any engaged in professional misconduct for the purposes of the Procurement Act 2023, potentially leading them to be debarred from public contracts. Questioning the Government over progress on work to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings, Lord Rooker said: 'Can we be assured that the companies identified in the Grenfell report as using dishonest strategies and making false claims, such as Kingspan, Celotex and Arconic, are not involved in any replacement work? 'The companies are reported to have manipulated test data and manipulated the market.' Speaking in the Lords chamber, where his comments are protected by parliamentary privilege, the peer added: 'The minister and other members will have read the exposure of the crooks running Arconic in a devastating article in the Sunday Times two days ago. Why are these people not behind bars?' Responding, communities minister Lord Khan of Burnley said: 'The Cabinet Office announced investigations into seven organisations, a few of which he mentioned. 'These organisations were named in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, enabled by the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on February 24 2025. 'The Cabinet Office is considering options under this Act. This is rightly independent. 'While this process must run its course, further actions outside the debarments regime against those involved in this tragedy have not been ruled out.' Arconic have been contacted for comment. Responding to the inquiry report last year, the firm said it was its subsidiary, Arconic Architectural Products SAS (AAP), which had supplied the material used for cladding in the tower's refurbishment, and that it rejects 'any claim that AAP sold an unsafe product' and that it 'did not conceal information from or mislead any certification body, customer, or the public'. Kingspan said it had 'long acknowledged the wholly unacceptable historical failings that occurred in part of our UK insulation business' but said these were 'in no way reflective of how we conduct ourselves as a group, then or now'. Celotex said it had 'reviewed and improved process controls, quality management and the approach to marketing within the Celotex business to meet industry best practice'.
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Bereaved father: Grenfell documentary must mark turning point in justice fight
Grenfell: Uncovered, on Netflix from June 20, follows the final report of the inquiry into the fire which concluded each of the 72 deaths was avoidable and had been preceded by 'decades of failure' by government and the building industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings. Grenfell Tower in west London (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Bereaved and survivors were 'badly failed' through incompetence, dishonesty and greed and the west London tower block was covered in combustible products because of the 'systematic dishonesty' of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said last year. Sir Martin called out 'deliberate and sustained' manipulation of fire safety testing, misrepresentation of test data and misleading of the market. Mr Gomes, who said he lives with the devastating consequences of the fire every day, said the documentary sets out the failures of various organisations in the years leading up to the fire. In an interview with the PA news agency ahead of the documentary's release, he said: 'Ultimately, I'm hoping that people understand that this was no accident. This was very much avoidable, and these companies had a huge role to play in what happened. 'And I think people, especially in Britain – but this is a global thing, it's not just in the UK – need to start shouting about these companies, need to hold them to account. 'Because these companies have a duty of care but they've ignored it completely. 'And I'm hoping that this documentary is a turning point that will then bring prosecutions and justice to the families.' A number of companies are referred to in the documentary. The inquiry report saw cladding firm Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex come in for particularly heavy criticism. Arconic was found to have 'deliberately concealed from the market the true extent of the danger' of using its cladding product, particularly on high-rise buildings. Kingspan had, from 2005 and even after the inquiry began, 'knowingly created a false market in insulation' for use on buildings over 18 metres, the report said. Celotex then, in an attempt to break into this market created by Kingspan, 'embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market', Sir Martin concluded. The Cabinet Office confirmed in February that seven companies were facing possible bans – Arconic, Kingspan, former Celotex owners Saint-Gobain, fire inspectors Exova, design and build contractor Rydon, architect Studio E and subcontractor Harley Facades. Investigations were launched by the Government in March, assessing whether any engaged in professional misconduct for the purposes of the Procurement Act 2023, potentially leading them to be debarred from public contracts. Mr Gomes said he hoped the 100-minute documentary would see people back the bereaved and survivors' fight for justice, as it sets out how firms were 'prioritising profits ahead of people's lives'. He said: 'Eight years on, we've had no prosecutions. And justice can't continue to wait, in my opinion, and if you live in Britain, as we do, this should matter to every single person. 'Knowing that these companies that greatly contributed to something that was avoidable, as the inquiry said, are still making record profits and still working globally is appalling, in my view. 'So seeing this and then comparing to how my life is, and comparing to how many people's lives have been destroyed, in many ways, is horrific.' Mr Gomes said he hoped viewers might be moved to take some kind of action, from writing to their MPs to spreading the word on social media. He said: 'I think if they can do whatever's in their power, and if that's writing a letter to the MPs about getting justice or removing the cladding (on other buildings), then that's what I'd love to see. 'It's whatever people can do – avoid their products, get the message out there. These companies need to feel some pain and that's not even close to what we've gone through.' Bereaved and survivors gathered at the weekend to mark the eighth anniversary of the fire, which took place on June 14 2017. Demolition work on the tower could begin in September, with the decision to remove the building met with criticism from some of the bereaved and survivors, who felt their views had not been considered. Responding to the inquiry report last year, Arconic said it was its subsidiary, Arconic Architectural Products SAS (AAP), which had supplied the material used for cladding in the tower's refurbishment, and that it rejects 'any claim that AAP sold an unsafe product' and that it 'did not conceal information from or mislead any certification body, customer, or the public'. Kingspan said it had 'long acknowledged the wholly unacceptable historical failings that occurred in part of our UK insulation business' but said these were 'in no way reflective of how we conduct ourselves as a group, then or now', while Celotex said it had 'reviewed and improved process controls, quality management and the approach to marketing within the Celotex business to meet industry best practice'.
South Wales Guardian
5 days ago
- South Wales Guardian
Bereaved father: Grenfell documentary must mark turning point in justice fight
Marcio Gomes, whose son Logan was stillborn after the 2017 disaster, said he hoped audiences might be prompted to 'start shouting' about a disaster which 'should matter to every single person'. Grenfell: Uncovered, on Netflix from June 20, follows the final report of the inquiry into the fire which concluded each of the 72 deaths was avoidable and had been preceded by 'decades of failure' by government and the building industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings. Bereaved and survivors were 'badly failed' through incompetence, dishonesty and greed and the west London tower block was covered in combustible products because of the 'systematic dishonesty' of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said last year. Sir Martin called out 'deliberate and sustained' manipulation of fire safety testing, misrepresentation of test data and misleading of the market. Mr Gomes, who said he lives with the devastating consequences of the fire every day, said the documentary sets out the failures of various organisations in the years leading up to the fire. In an interview with the PA news agency ahead of the documentary's release, he said: 'Ultimately, I'm hoping that people understand that this was no accident. This was very much avoidable, and these companies had a huge role to play in what happened. 'And I think people, especially in Britain – but this is a global thing, it's not just in the UK – need to start shouting about these companies, need to hold them to account. 'Because these companies have a duty of care but they've ignored it completely. 'And I'm hoping that this documentary is a turning point that will then bring prosecutions and justice to the families.' A number of companies are referred to in the documentary. The inquiry report saw cladding firm Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex come in for particularly heavy criticism. Arconic was found to have 'deliberately concealed from the market the true extent of the danger' of using its cladding product, particularly on high-rise buildings. Kingspan had, from 2005 and even after the inquiry began, 'knowingly created a false market in insulation' for use on buildings over 18 metres, the report said. Celotex then, in an attempt to break into this market created by Kingspan, 'embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market', Sir Martin concluded. The Cabinet Office confirmed in February that seven companies were facing possible bans – Arconic, Kingspan, former Celotex owners Saint-Gobain, fire inspectors Exova, design and build contractor Rydon, architect Studio E and subcontractor Harley Facades. Investigations were launched by the Government in March, assessing whether any engaged in professional misconduct for the purposes of the Procurement Act 2023, potentially leading them to be debarred from public contracts. Mr Gomes said he hoped the 100-minute documentary would see people back the bereaved and survivors' fight for justice, as it sets out how firms were 'prioritising profits ahead of people's lives'. He said: 'Eight years on, we've had no prosecutions. And justice can't continue to wait, in my opinion, and if you live in Britain, as we do, this should matter to every single person. 'Knowing that these companies that greatly contributed to something that was avoidable, as the inquiry said, are still making record profits and still working globally is appalling, in my view. 'So seeing this and then comparing to how my life is, and comparing to how many people's lives have been destroyed, in many ways, is horrific.' Mr Gomes said he hoped viewers might be moved to take some kind of action, from writing to their MPs to spreading the word on social media. He said: 'I think if they can do whatever's in their power, and if that's writing a letter to the MPs about getting justice or removing the cladding (on other buildings), then that's what I'd love to see. 'It's whatever people can do – avoid their products, get the message out there. These companies need to feel some pain and that's not even close to what we've gone through.' Bereaved and survivors gathered at the weekend to mark the eighth anniversary of the fire, which took place on June 14 2017. Demolition work on the tower could begin in September, with the decision to remove the building met with criticism from some of the bereaved and survivors, who felt their views had not been considered. Responding to the inquiry report last year, Arconic said it was its subsidiary, Arconic Architectural Products SAS (AAP), which had supplied the material used for cladding in the tower's refurbishment, and that it rejects 'any claim that AAP sold an unsafe product' and that it 'did not conceal information from or mislead any certification body, customer, or the public'. Kingspan said it had 'long acknowledged the wholly unacceptable historical failings that occurred in part of our UK insulation business' but said these were 'in no way reflective of how we conduct ourselves as a group, then or now', while Celotex said it had 'reviewed and improved process controls, quality management and the approach to marketing within the Celotex business to meet industry best practice'.
Leader Live
5 days ago
- Leader Live
Bereaved father: Grenfell documentary must mark turning point in justice fight
Marcio Gomes, whose son Logan was stillborn after the 2017 disaster, said he hoped audiences might be prompted to 'start shouting' about a disaster which 'should matter to every single person'. Grenfell: Uncovered, on Netflix from June 20, follows the final report of the inquiry into the fire which concluded each of the 72 deaths was avoidable and had been preceded by 'decades of failure' by government and the building industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings. Bereaved and survivors were 'badly failed' through incompetence, dishonesty and greed and the west London tower block was covered in combustible products because of the 'systematic dishonesty' of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said last year. Sir Martin called out 'deliberate and sustained' manipulation of fire safety testing, misrepresentation of test data and misleading of the market. Mr Gomes, who said he lives with the devastating consequences of the fire every day, said the documentary sets out the failures of various organisations in the years leading up to the fire. In an interview with the PA news agency ahead of the documentary's release, he said: 'Ultimately, I'm hoping that people understand that this was no accident. This was very much avoidable, and these companies had a huge role to play in what happened. 'And I think people, especially in Britain – but this is a global thing, it's not just in the UK – need to start shouting about these companies, need to hold them to account. 'Because these companies have a duty of care but they've ignored it completely. 'And I'm hoping that this documentary is a turning point that will then bring prosecutions and justice to the families.' A number of companies are referred to in the documentary. The inquiry report saw cladding firm Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex come in for particularly heavy criticism. Arconic was found to have 'deliberately concealed from the market the true extent of the danger' of using its cladding product, particularly on high-rise buildings. Kingspan had, from 2005 and even after the inquiry began, 'knowingly created a false market in insulation' for use on buildings over 18 metres, the report said. Celotex then, in an attempt to break into this market created by Kingspan, 'embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market', Sir Martin concluded. The Cabinet Office confirmed in February that seven companies were facing possible bans – Arconic, Kingspan, former Celotex owners Saint-Gobain, fire inspectors Exova, design and build contractor Rydon, architect Studio E and subcontractor Harley Facades. Investigations were launched by the Government in March, assessing whether any engaged in professional misconduct for the purposes of the Procurement Act 2023, potentially leading them to be debarred from public contracts. Mr Gomes said he hoped the 100-minute documentary would see people back the bereaved and survivors' fight for justice, as it sets out how firms were 'prioritising profits ahead of people's lives'. He said: 'Eight years on, we've had no prosecutions. And justice can't continue to wait, in my opinion, and if you live in Britain, as we do, this should matter to every single person. 'Knowing that these companies that greatly contributed to something that was avoidable, as the inquiry said, are still making record profits and still working globally is appalling, in my view. 'So seeing this and then comparing to how my life is, and comparing to how many people's lives have been destroyed, in many ways, is horrific.' Mr Gomes said he hoped viewers might be moved to take some kind of action, from writing to their MPs to spreading the word on social media. He said: 'I think if they can do whatever's in their power, and if that's writing a letter to the MPs about getting justice or removing the cladding (on other buildings), then that's what I'd love to see. 'It's whatever people can do – avoid their products, get the message out there. These companies need to feel some pain and that's not even close to what we've gone through.' Bereaved and survivors gathered at the weekend to mark the eighth anniversary of the fire, which took place on June 14 2017. Demolition work on the tower could begin in September, with the decision to remove the building met with criticism from some of the bereaved and survivors, who felt their views had not been considered. Responding to the inquiry report last year, Arconic said it was its subsidiary, Arconic Architectural Products SAS (AAP), which had supplied the material used for cladding in the tower's refurbishment, and that it rejects 'any claim that AAP sold an unsafe product' and that it 'did not conceal information from or mislead any certification body, customer, or the public'. Kingspan said it had 'long acknowledged the wholly unacceptable historical failings that occurred in part of our UK insulation business' but said these were 'in no way reflective of how we conduct ourselves as a group, then or now', while Celotex said it had 'reviewed and improved process controls, quality management and the approach to marketing within the Celotex business to meet industry best practice'.
Rhyl Journal
5 days ago
- Rhyl Journal
Bereaved father: Grenfell documentary must mark turning point in justice fight
Marcio Gomes, whose son Logan was stillborn after the 2017 disaster, said he hoped audiences might be prompted to 'start shouting' about a disaster which 'should matter to every single person'. Grenfell: Uncovered, on Netflix from June 20, follows the final report of the inquiry into the fire which concluded each of the 72 deaths was avoidable and had been preceded by 'decades of failure' by government and the building industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings. Bereaved and survivors were 'badly failed' through incompetence, dishonesty and greed and the west London tower block was covered in combustible products because of the 'systematic dishonesty' of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said last year. Sir Martin called out 'deliberate and sustained' manipulation of fire safety testing, misrepresentation of test data and misleading of the market. Mr Gomes, who said he lives with the devastating consequences of the fire every day, said the documentary sets out the failures of various organisations in the years leading up to the fire. In an interview with the PA news agency ahead of the documentary's release, he said: 'Ultimately, I'm hoping that people understand that this was no accident. This was very much avoidable, and these companies had a huge role to play in what happened. 'And I think people, especially in Britain – but this is a global thing, it's not just in the UK – need to start shouting about these companies, need to hold them to account. 'Because these companies have a duty of care but they've ignored it completely. 'And I'm hoping that this documentary is a turning point that will then bring prosecutions and justice to the families.' A number of companies are referred to in the documentary. The inquiry report saw cladding firm Arconic and insulation firms Kingspan and Celotex come in for particularly heavy criticism. Arconic was found to have 'deliberately concealed from the market the true extent of the danger' of using its cladding product, particularly on high-rise buildings. Kingspan had, from 2005 and even after the inquiry began, 'knowingly created a false market in insulation' for use on buildings over 18 metres, the report said. Celotex then, in an attempt to break into this market created by Kingspan, 'embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market', Sir Martin concluded. The Cabinet Office confirmed in February that seven companies were facing possible bans – Arconic, Kingspan, former Celotex owners Saint-Gobain, fire inspectors Exova, design and build contractor Rydon, architect Studio E and subcontractor Harley Facades. Investigations were launched by the Government in March, assessing whether any engaged in professional misconduct for the purposes of the Procurement Act 2023, potentially leading them to be debarred from public contracts. Mr Gomes said he hoped the 100-minute documentary would see people back the bereaved and survivors' fight for justice, as it sets out how firms were 'prioritising profits ahead of people's lives'. He said: 'Eight years on, we've had no prosecutions. And justice can't continue to wait, in my opinion, and if you live in Britain, as we do, this should matter to every single person. 'Knowing that these companies that greatly contributed to something that was avoidable, as the inquiry said, are still making record profits and still working globally is appalling, in my view. 'So seeing this and then comparing to how my life is, and comparing to how many people's lives have been destroyed, in many ways, is horrific.' Mr Gomes said he hoped viewers might be moved to take some kind of action, from writing to their MPs to spreading the word on social media. He said: 'I think if they can do whatever's in their power, and if that's writing a letter to the MPs about getting justice or removing the cladding (on other buildings), then that's what I'd love to see. 'It's whatever people can do – avoid their products, get the message out there. These companies need to feel some pain and that's not even close to what we've gone through.' Bereaved and survivors gathered at the weekend to mark the eighth anniversary of the fire, which took place on June 14 2017. Demolition work on the tower could begin in September, with the decision to remove the building met with criticism from some of the bereaved and survivors, who felt their views had not been considered. Responding to the inquiry report last year, Arconic said it was its subsidiary, Arconic Architectural Products SAS (AAP), which had supplied the material used for cladding in the tower's refurbishment, and that it rejects 'any claim that AAP sold an unsafe product' and that it 'did not conceal information from or mislead any certification body, customer, or the public'. Kingspan said it had 'long acknowledged the wholly unacceptable historical failings that occurred in part of our UK insulation business' but said these were 'in no way reflective of how we conduct ourselves as a group, then or now', while Celotex said it had 'reviewed and improved process controls, quality management and the approach to marketing within the Celotex business to meet industry best practice'.
