Angela Rayner said she recognises the “significance and gravity” as file on her department is passed to CPS
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is one of the organisations under investigation by the Metropolitan Police as part of the probe into the Grenfell Tower fire.
In a statement published today, housing secretary Angela Rayner said the department (MHCLG) had been notified in 2023 that it was under investigation in relation to the fire, which killed 72 people in June 2017.
Rayner said the department had not commented on its status as a subject in the investigation until today, when the Met submitted files to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), to protect the integrity of the investigation.
“The Metropolitan Police has today confirmed to the department that a file relating to MHCLG has been referred to the CPS to conduct a full and independent review of the evidence to determine whether the evidential requirements in relation to a potential breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 have been reached,” Rayner said.
She added: “I recognise the significance and gravity of this development, and we will respond with the appropriate and necessary diligence and care.
“The CPS will lead on the next steps and the government will continue to cooperate fully in the next stage of this process.
“The Grenfell Tower Inquiry exposed profound failures in the building safety system. As secretary of state, I recognise that confidence will only be rebuilt through sustained action and visible change.
“I will ensure that the lessons from the inquiry drive real and lasting change in how government works and provides safe homes for people across the country to ensure a tragedy like Grenfell can never happen again.”
In all, 20 files relating to 20 companies and organisations and 54 individuals have been submitted to the CPS.
The Met is asking the CPS to consider charges including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, health and safety offences, fraud and fraud-related offences and misconduct in public office.
The CPS has previously committed to making the charging decisions before the 10th anniversary of the fire in June 2027.
The Met said this morning that the investigation had been “immense” with the role of more than 15,000 individuals and 700 organisations involved in Grenfell Tower examined.
As well as the 20 files, the submission to the CPS also includes 14 overarching evidence files with the word count of the Met’s summary reports alone exceeding 12,600 pages, referencing more than 45,000 documents, images and exhibits. A total of 14,700 statements have been taken, it said.
Police officers and forensic experts examined approximately 15 tonnes of debris on each floor, the Met said, adding that more than 27,000 exhibits, including cladding, insulation, doors, windows and other parts of the building, down to screws, nuts and bolts, remain stored in a secure warehouse.
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