PM chairs third meeting of the Grenfell Tower Recovery Taskforce

19 Jun 2017 08:42 PM

Theresa May chaired meeting of the Grenfell Tower Recovery Taskforce and received updates on the support for those affected by the fire.

The Prime Minister yesterday (Monday 19 June) chaired the third meeting of the Grenfell Tower Recovery Taskforce.

She received updates on the support for those affected, including on housing, access to payments from the discretionary fund, healthcare and co-ordination on the ground.

While it was clear some progress is being made, the Prime Minister will continue to receive daily updates to ensure that the steps taken are being carried forward at sufficient scale and speed that help is getting to people who need it.

An officials-led taskforce meeting will take place today and the PM will chair a further Secretary of State level meeting on Wednesday when she expects to receive significant updates on the proportion of people who have received support across the areas identified.

Key updates include:

• In line with the Prime Minister’s commitment to provide additional central government resource to bolster response efforts on the ground, as of this morning 5 government departments now have staff embedded within the Grenfell Fire Response Team on the ground, with a number of additional departments providing additional capability. Those Departments are: Department for Communities and Local Government, Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office, Foreign Office, and Department for Transport.

• DWP have begun administering the first £5,000 payments from the discretionary fund directly into the bank accounts of eligible households affected by the fire.

• Nearly 100 letters providing further advice on how to come forward and claim discretionary payments have been personally delivered to affected residents staying in temporary accommodation, to ensure nobody who is eligible for support misses out on this funding to help with immediate costs.

• The Prime Minister received reassurances that the commitment to re-home people within the same or neighbouring borough would be met within the three-week deadline – and that reports of people being offered homes hundreds of miles away were false.

• Work is ongoing to assess the housing needs of all residents who have had to leave their home – with the first rehousing offers made yesterday.

• A dedicated, 24/7 NHS mental health response line is now active to provide services and advice to anyone affected directly, or indirectly. Enhanced support has begun for first responders from yesterdayday and the NHS London bereavement pathway has been put in place to support bereaved families in the longer term.

• Local NHS primary care services are also providing enhanced support, including primary care and pharmaceutical services at rest centres and extended opening hours at local GP services.

• DCLG is expected to receive figures from all local authorities and housing associations in England on the total number of high-rise buildings across the country which would be subject to additional safety checks.

• DCLG has written to the heads of Local Authorities providing more details to help councils identify a particular type of cladding which is being subject to additional checks – facilities have been set up for testing of samples to begin from tomorrow once the first returns are received from councils.

• There will be a further boost to the number of council workers visible on the ground to provide direct assistance to residents.

• The Lord Chief Justice is expected to appoint a judge to oversee the independent Inquiry in the next couple of days and the Prime Minister has reiterated her commitment that residents would be consulted on the terms of reference for the inquiry before they are finalised.