Margaret Mullane, Labour MP Dagenham and Rainham, is stepping up the campaign to improve fire safety for families living in blocks of flats. During the debate in the House of Commons on 11 September on Building Safety and Resilience, Margaret raised the need for urgent action to be taken on compliance with Building Regulations to ensure safety of residents.
Margaret commented “The terrible fire at Spectrum House in Dagenham is a very clear reminder, if one was needed, of the importance of fire safety and full compliance with Building Regulations.
It was only as a result of the quick response from the Fire Brigade and the brave actions from residents who alerted their neighbours to the fire that was taking hold on the building, that there was no tragic loss of life.
I have been meeting with people who lived in the building whose lives have been turned upside down and am working with Barking and Dagenham Council staff to secure appropriate accommodation so that families can move on from emergency stays in hotels.
I intervened in the debate in Parliament to highlight how important these safety regulations are, something that the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report emphasised, by making direct reference to the fire at Spectrum House.”
(The following is Margaret’s intervention)
In September 2020 an External Wall Survey revealed that the cladding on the Spectrum Building in my constituency was not compliant with Building Regulations. Works to remediate the building were not actioned until three years later in July 2023. The building was then engulfed by flames a few short weeks ago with 20% of the remediation works still outstanding. Does the Honorable Member agree with me that urgent steps are needed to massively scale up the process of remediation?
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