Government cracks down on unsafe and unregulated building products

Major proposals to strengthen the construction products used in buildings across the country have been published by government in a crackdown on unregulated practices, which led to the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

The Construction Products Reform White Paper sets out that all products must be properly assessed before being used in the building process.

Currently only around a third of constructions products are regulated – the new general safety requirement will mean that all products undergo the proper checks, not only keeping people safe in their homes, but boosting the economy and providing confidence to developers to build the 1.5 million homes this country needs.

The Government has published a consultation on this requirement, with secondary legislation expected later this year and all changes coming in as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

The proposals come as the government publishes the first Annual Report on the implementation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations – which sets out that 12 recommendations, including bringing government fire safety functions under the control of one department and Secretary of State, have been completed.  Over 40 (70 per cent) of the recommendations are also expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which delivered its final report in September 2024, set out 58 recommendations, of which 37 were directed at the government and 21 were directed at other bodies and institutions.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: “The Grenfell fire was a tragedy that must never be repeated. 

“Everyone should feel safe in their home. We are making progress implementing the Inquiry recommendations, but there is more to do as we continue to learn and act on the mistakes of the past.”

Minister for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy Samantha Dixon commented: “We will never forget the tragedy of Grenfell and will continue working with the local community, industry and local authorities to deliver safer homes and lasting change. 

“The failings outlined by the inquiry exposed fundamental issues in product, building and fire safety standards and through the Construction Products White Paper and our work to implement all the recommendations of the inquiry, we will create a better system for millions of people across the country.” 

Key progress and developments on wider-reform and the implementation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations include:

• The establishment of the independent Building Safety Regulator to ensure a consistent approach to building regulation and enforcement. This paves the way for the creation of a single construction regulator – a key recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
• Strengthening of the building safety rules, including the design, construction and management of buildings.
• Improvements in professional standards across construction, fire engineering, building control and fire risk assessment with new bodies to drive best practice, including specialist training for 1,200 workers across the sectors.
• Greater support for residents, with more than 4,500 accessing training on how to exercise their rights and hold their landlord to account and rights information through government-funded programmes.
• The acceleration of remediation, with over 180,000 residents benefiting from remediation having started or completed across 2,100 buildings.
• Stronger enforcement against those who put people at risk through unsafe buildings, with local regulators issuing 124 per cent more formal notices and 140 per cent more inspections by end of June 2025, compared to the period prior to departmental funding.