The Mayor of London has called on the Government to do more to address fire safety, two years on from the Grenfell Tower disaster.
Last Friday marked the two year anniversary of the devastating fire in west London, in which 72 people lost their lives.
The Mayor’s appeal came less than two weeks after fire gutted a residential block in Barking. There were no casualties, but 20 homes were destroyed and a further 43 damaged in the blaze.
Mr Khan, speaking at Mayor’s Question Time, said the government had not delivered on promises in the aftermath of the Grenfell fire, describing the failure as “nothing short of shameful”.
He said: “It is simply unacceptable that two years on, 17 families whose homes were destroyed are still living in temporary or emergency accommodation.
“The community continues to feel ignored and neglected, having to fight for every piece of support from the Council.”
The Mayor said lack of reform was a major cause for concern, leaving people across the country at risk.
Last year, the Government banned cladding used at Grenfell Tower – known as aluminium-composite material (ACM) – on new high-rise buildings.
Councils were also given the power to remove existing ACM cladding from privately owned buildings.
But Mr Khan said the Government needed to do more, and extend the ban to include low- and mid-rise buildings, and other types of combustible materials.
The Mayor said the recent fire in Barking highlighted continuing dangers for residents.
He said: “It’s likely that combustible material at Barking Riverside could still be used in new low and mid-rise buildings. This shows just how far the reforms have fallen short of what’s needed.”
Mr Khan added: “Whoever replaces Theresa May as Prime Minister must make it a priority to finally act on the issues that affect the Grenfell community and people across the country.
We owe it to the 72 people who lost their lives in Grenfell tower, their families, friends and all those impacted by what happened two years ago.”
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