Press release: PM chairs fifth meeting of the Grenfell Tower Recovery Taskforce

The Prime Minister has this afternoon (Wednesday 21 June) chaired the fifth meeting of the Grenfell Recovery Taskforce.

The taskforce provided updates to the Prime Minister on the ongoing support for those affected, including on the proportion of people who have received payments from the discretionary fund and work to provide the option of permanent housing for anyone who lost their homes.

The Prime Minister intends to make a statement to the House tomorrow (Thursday 22 June) to provide further updates and there will be another meeting of the taskforce on Friday.

Key updates from the meeting include:

• DWP has provided £5,000 grants from the £5 million discretionary fund to the vast majority of households directly affected by the fire and the total amount paid from the fund is now over £488,000.

• Work is ongoing to re-house all residents who have had to leave their home and 68 permanent social housing units have been made available along with more than 160 temporary units.

• The Taskforce reiterated that all those whose homes were destroyed will be rehoused in the local area (Kingston and Chelsea or a neighbouring borough) and no one who chooses to not take up an offer of housing will be deemed intentionally homeless.

• Local authorities have started sending samples of cladding that may require additional checks to newly established facilities for testing.

• The important work of the Lord Chief Justice appointing a judge to lead the independent public inquiry is ongoing and the Prime Minister reiterated that residents would be consulted on the terms of reference before they are finalised.