Theresa May promises £400m to remedy dangerous cladding

Theresa May made the pledge during Prime Minister's question time on Wednesday ahead of the publication of the Hackitt Review into the Grenfell Tower disaster due to be published today.

Work is already underway to strip cladding from 158 high-rise blocks but councils have warned that they are struggling to meet the costs and other services may suffer.

Theresa May said: “Our thoughts as we approach the anniversary of the appalling tragedy which was the Grenfell Tower fire are with the victims of all those affected by the tragedy.”

“On the issue of the safety of buildings, the fire and rescue services have visited over 1,250 high-rise buildings and immediate action has been taken to ensure the safety of every resident.

“Councils and housing associations must remove dangerous cladding quickly, but paying for these works must not undermine their ability to do important maintenance and repair works.

“I’ve worked closely with the Chancellor and Housing Secretary, and I can today confirm that the Government will fully fund fun the removal and replacement of dangerous cladding by councils and housing associations, costing an estimated £400m.”

To the disappointment of Grenfell Tower survivors who have been campaigning for combustible cladding and insulation to be explicitly banned Dame Judith Hackitt, the former chair of the Health and Safety Executive, is not expected to recommend an outright ban on these types of cladding products.