Move faster on firms' public contracts ban, Grenfell survivor urges Government

South Wales Guardian

18 hours ago

Bereaved and survivors of the blaze will gather on Saturday in west London for the annual commemoration of the disaster which claimed 72 lives.
It is likely to be the final anniversary which takes place with the tower still standing in its current form, as demolition work could begin in September.
Former tower resident Edward Daffarn, who had previously raised safety concerns and predicted a 'catastrophic event' at the tower seven months before the fire, said this year's memorial will be 'all the more poignant' for that reason.
But Mr Daffarn is hopeful a new documentary about the blaze, due to air on Netflix next week, will spur Government efforts to take action against companies linked to fire.
He told the PA news agency: 'One thing that this documentary needs to do is it needs to put pressure on the Government to ensure that the companies involved are not able to access public funding, and I'm hoping that this documentary will accelerate that process.'
The Cabinet office confirmed in February that seven companies were facing possible bans – cladding firm Arconic, insulation firm Kingspan, former Celotex owners Saint-Gobain, fire inspectors Exova, design and build contractor Rydon, architect Studio E and subcontractor Harley Facades.
It is understood investigations were launched into all of them in March, looking into whether any engaged in professional misconduct for the purposes of the Procurement Act 2023, potentially leading them to be debarred from public contracts.
No timeline has been given for how long it might be before outcomes are known.
The final Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, published in September, concluded victims, bereaved and survivors were 'badly failed' through incompetence, dishonesty and greed.
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.
He called out 'deliberate and sustained' manipulation of fire-safety testing, misrepresentation of test data and misleading of the market.
Mr Daffarn said the documentary will be the first 'that truly exposes and brings into people's living rooms' the 'cowardice of the corporates and how profit was put before people'.
He said; 'I hope that people who watch the documentary come to understand that although Grenfell happened eight years ago, there's a lot that still hasn't been resolved and, as a consequence, the companies involved with Grenfell just seem to want to brush everything under the carpet and carry on making money.
'And I think the documentary clearly exposes how little these companies and individuals have been held to account for their roles in Grenfell.'
On Government efforts, which Sir Keir Starmer first announced last September, to debar companies, Mr Daffarn said the process is 'too slow' and bereaved and survivors are 'still waiting' for companies to face consequences.
He said anyone left angered by the documentary could avoid buying products from companies criticised in the report to 'make sure that those companies understand that there is a consequence of their actions'.
Bereaved and survivors have long campaigned for criminal charges to be brought over the disaster.
Police and prosecutors have previously said investigators would need until the end of 2025 to complete their inquiry, with final decisions on potential criminal charges by the end of 2026.
The near 10-year wait for justice has been described by families as 'unbearable'.
The decision to bring the tower block down was confirmed earlier this year and prompted mixed reaction, with some people feeling their views had not been properly taken into consideration.
Sharing his own opinion, and acknowledging the difficulty others feel in seeing the tower regularly, Mr Daffarn said: 'I think the anniversary is made all the more poignant by the fact that this is the last time that we will meet with the tower in situ.
'We haven't got justice yet. It feels wrong to be pulling the tower down while so much remains unresolved.'
The Government said while some had hoped the building could remain in place as a reminder of what happened, others had reported this would be 'too painful'.
The demolition process is expected to take around two years.
A Government spokesperson said: 'As we approach the eighth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, our thoughts remain with the bereaved families, survivors and the immediate community.
'This government remains committed to ensuring that what happened at Grenfell is never forgotten, and to delivering the change needed so it can never happen again.'