Grenfell Cladding Firm President Agrees To Give Evidence At Inquiry

A senior executive at the firm that made the combustible cladding used on Grenfell Tower has agreed to give evidence to the public inquiry after refusing to do so for the last seven months. Claude Schmidt, the president of Arconic Architectural Products, the French company that supplied the plastic-filled panels that were the main cause of fire spread, was one of several witnesses wanted for questioning by the inquiry into the disaster who had refused, citing an arcane French law. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jan/27/grenfell-cladding-firm-president-claude-schmidt-agrees-to-give-evidence-at-inquiry

Police ‘Will Review’ Destruction And Withholding Of Grenfell Evidence By KCTMO

Police will consider whether a crime has been committed after a witness to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry admitted to binning records relating to the building’s refurbishment a year after the fire. Claire Williams, who was project manager for the Grenfell Tower refurbishment at Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), revealed at the witness stand that she had binned the notes despite being aware of the public inquiry and police investigation. She told the inquiry that she was “just clearing her desk”. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/police-will-review-destruction-and-withholding-of-grenfell-evidence-by-kctmo-68255#:~:text=Police%20'will%20review'%20destruction%20and%20withholding%20of%20Grenfell%20evidence%20by%20KCTMO,-News20%2F10&text=Police%20will%20consider%20whether%20a,a%20year%20after%20the%20fire 

Force Grenfell Witnesses To Give Evidence

The Local Government Association has said witnesses must be compelled to give evidence to the Grenfell inquiry. The chair of the Grenfell Tower inquiry has delayed the hearing for at least two weeks so that the Attorney General can decide whether evidence from witnesses should be used in future prosecutions. But Lord Porter, building safety spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: “All those involved in any way have a duty to fully participate in the inquiry, tell the unedited truth, answer for their actions and accept responsibility for their role in the deaths of at least 72 people and the ongoing trauma inflicted upon the survivors and the bereaved.” Read more on Housing Today.

https://www.housingtoday.co.uk/news/force-grenfell-witnesses-to-give-evidence-lga-peer-says/5104217.article