I was shocked and saddened to learn of the massive blaze which engulfed Grenfell Tower in London in the early hours of yesterday morning and which has led to a significant loss of life. At this time our thoughts and prayers must be with the victims, their families and loved ones, and with the emergency services who responded so rapidly and so courageously to this incident.
In the past 24 hours I have been contacted by local residents who have expressed their concerns about the high rise blocks in our borough which have undergone renovation in recent years. I have received assurances from Solihull Community Housing and the local authority that they work closely with the fire service, carry out regular risk assessments and are 'extremely aware' of what they as building managers need to do to ensure the safety of local residents at all times in case of a fire.
I understand that more detailed information from SCH will be coming forward to local residents and I would urge any concerned tenants to raise their concerns directly with their housing officer or the building manger.
Similarly, I welcome the course of action taken by the Prime Minister who has ordered a full public enquiry into the fire to determine the cause and ensure that we can avoid future such instances.
Dame Caroline Spelman MP