The expert advisory panel meets for the first time this week under the chairmanship of Sir Ken Knight, former London Fire Commissioner and former government chief fire & rescue adviser.
Communities secretary Sajid Javid said that the panel was being commissioned to advise on any immediate measures that can be put in place to make buildings safe following the Grenfell Tower fire. A separate independent public inquiry will investigate what happened and who was responsible for the disaster.
Other members of the panel will be Building Research Establishment chief executive Peter Bonfield, National Fire Chiefs Council chair Roy Wilsher, and EY partner Amanda Clack, who is president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
It is intended that a first meeting of the panel will take place this week.
At least 79 people were killed on 14th June when the 24-storey Grenfell Tower apartment block on the Lancaster West estate in north Kensington caught fire.
Sajid Javid said: “It’s absolutely right that there will be an independent public inquiry to get to the truth about what happened and who was responsible for the Grenfell Tower tragedy. However, I want to know if there are measures we can put in place now to keep people safe and I want them done immediately. I want the public to be confident everything possible is being done.”
Peter Bonfield said: “It is important that the best expertise from across our industry, the research communities, the professions and the public sector is drawn out to support the government and society at this critical time of need. I look forward to working with Sir Ken and drawing in expertise which will help address the challenges faced. I know that the will to positively contribute from professional bodies and others is strong and we will deploy this to support our work.”
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