New reports set out the final reflections from the Interim Chief Construction Adviser, as well as the government’s latest progress against the recommendations made in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report.
The publications follow on from the Grenfell Tower fire, a national tragedy that took the lives of 72 people and exposed profound failings in building and fire safety.
Last year, the government appointed Thouria Istephan as the interim Chief Construction Adviser (CCA), acting on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendation to ensure there is an expert, independent voice informing the government’s reforms.
As she nears the end of her term, the CCA has now published her final report, reflecting on progress made in the role over the last 12 months, as well as the challenges and opportunities ahead in building safety reforms.
The report sets out some of the key policy milestones supported by the CCA’s expertise, including the publication of the Construction Products White Paper, plans to introduce a Single Construction Regulator and the development of a building professions strategy.
Building Safety Minister, Baroness Blake, said: “We remain committed to learning from and acting on the failings that contributed to the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.
“The interim Chief Construction Adviser has played a pivotal role in shaping our reforms over the last 12 months, helping ensure safety, robust regulation and high standards are at the core of the built environment sector.”
The government is committed to making sure everyone has trust that their home is safe and built to a high standard, and the upcoming Remediation Bill will ensure landlords deliver on their responsibility to fix unsafe buildings.
The CCA’s final report comes as the government confirms that 9 further Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations have been completed since May, bringing the total number of completed recommendations to 30 since February 2025.
The latest updates include:
- The Building Advisory Committee and Fire Safety Working Group are now fully operational, bringing together leading expertise from academia and industry to drive improvements across the building safety sector.
- £13 million is available for UK higher education institutions to help build the next generation of fire engineering professionals and develop the skilled workforce needed to keep people safe.
- Fire and rescue services are improving how they learn from incidents and support firefighters on the ground, with the revised and peer-reviewed London Fire Brigade Operational Learning process now in place alongside updated national guidance on radio communications, decision making and water supply systems.
The government also recognises that lasting change requires sustained transparency and oversight and has delivered the Inquiry’s recommendation on transparency through new dashboards which publicly track progress to deliver accepted recommendations across inquiries, alongside regular progress reports on Grenfell implementation.
Parliament has an important role to play in overseeing how government implements recommendations. We expect the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) will conclude its work in early 2027.
The government continues to work closely with communities, industry and local authorities across all remaining recommendations to deliver safer homes and lasting change.
