PHASE 2, MODULE 1: OPENING SUBMISSIONS on BEHALF of the Bsrs
GRENFELL TOWER INQUIRY ______________________________________________________________________ PHASE 2, MODULE 1: OPENING SUBMISSIONS ON BEHALF OF THE BSRs REPRESENTED BY TEAM 2 ______________________________________________________________________ Introduction 1. The Team 2 BSRs are grateful to the Chairman and his team for the Phase 1 report. It is clear that a huge amount of hard work has gone into the report. 2. However, much remains to be done in Phase 2. The work is urgent: two and a half years have now passed since the tragic events of June 2017. Many residents of tower blocks up and down the country, including bereaved family members, are concerned about the cladding and materials used in their own buildings and struggling to get information from their landlords. These concerns are increased when it is discovered, for example, that Rydon are still working on large public housing projects and were, until very recently, still being allowed to bid for, or work on, high-rise buildings.1 There have also been a number of well-publicised fires where the cladding has been a substantial contributing factor.2 3. Our clients seek two main things from Phase 2 of the Inquiry: the truth; and justice, in the form of accountability and change. 4. So far as accountability is concerned, the Inquiry will need to demolish the wall of obfuscation set up by the corporate CPs and hold to account the many individuals, firms, companies and organisations who have contributed to this tragedy. The Inquiry will, no doubt, be assisted in this task by the extremely robust, indeed devastating, expert reports. For example, in relation to Exova, Barbara Lane refers to very serious evidence of professional negligence.3 This is extremely strong, but fully justified, language from a very experienced expert.
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