The government will consult on banning flammable cladding in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.
The announcement in the Commons from housing, communities and local government secretary James Brokenshire follows anger at a review into the deadly blaze, which stopped short of recommending such a move.
Dame Judith Hackitt’s report was labelled a “whitewash” and a “total betrayal” by campaigners and MPs when it emerged outlawing flammable cladding, blamed by many for the spread of the fire, was not among her more than 50 recommendations.
She also did not recommend a ban on so-called “desktop studies”, assessments that can be used to approve cladding without physical fire safety tests taking place.
Speaking in the House of Commons just hours after the report’s publication, Mr Brokenshire said: “We are consulting on significantly restricting or banning the use of desk-top studies to assess cladding systems.”
He added: “Having listened carefully to concerns, the government will consult on banning the use of combustible materials in cladding systems on high-rise residential buildings.”
Shadow housing secretary John Healey called for action now.
“It really beggars belief that this report continues to give a green light to combustible materials on high rise blocks,” he told MPs.
“I say to the Secretary of State, don’t consult on it. Do it. Seventy-two people died in Grenfell Tower.
“In Australia, they had a high-rise fire in 2014. They now have a ban. In Dubai, they had a high-rise fire in 2015. They have a ban.
“We must do the same. We owe it to the Grenfell residents, and we owe it to residents living today in other tower blocks with the same Grenfell-style cladding.”
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