Civil servant’s reply to fire safety query was typically non-committal, Grenfell inquiry hears

By Tom Lowe2022-02-18T11:48:00

Brian Martin had been responding to query on “poorly drafted” clause in official guidance which appeared to permit use of combustible cladding in tall buildings

An ambiguous reply by a senior figure at the housing ministry to a question on whether ACM panels could be used in tall buildings was a typical response to fire safety queries, the Grenfell Inquiry was told.

Building Research Establishment (BRE) scientist Sarah Colwell said she was “used to seeing the style” of Brian Martin’s non-committal explanation of a confusing passage in official guidance dealing with cladding systems.

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